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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148133">Dreaming of You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thea_Annette/pseuds/Thea_Annette'>Thea_Annette</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chewie is a chocolate lab, Childhood Friends, Disney World &amp; Disneyland, F/M, Fluffy Ending, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I promise that this has a happy ending, Kylo is a black lab, MIA - Freeform, Marine Corps, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Ben Solo, Slow Burn, han and leia are good parents, hux is a jerk, smaller age gap, this girl loves her cars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:40:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>45,916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thea_Annette/pseuds/Thea_Annette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey had been living in a nightmare for the last eight years of her life while dreaming that she would one day have a family. Thanks to a fateful run-in one night with the Solo family, her dreams began coming true. With them, she found a family, was adopted by Maz Kanata, and moved to the other side of the country with her new mom. It seemed that her nightmares were over and the dream could begin. What happens though when her childhood protector, Ben Solo, shows back up in her life five years later?</p><p>*COMPLETED*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Rey, Finn/Rose Tico, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker (mentioned), Rey/Ben Solo, Zorii Bliss/Poe Dameron</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>195</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to my first fic! Hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave comments. I have this almost completely written, but with the school year starting, it could slow me down. For that reason, I will be posting once a week on Sundays from this point forward. Once I have this story completed, I will post as often as I can. Thank you for reading!</p><p>The title for this story comes from the song "Dreaming of You" by Selena.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Rey Niima was not having a stellar day. Not that this made for an unusual turn of events in her thirteen years of life or anything. Most of her days living with her foster father Unkar Plutt were bad. These days, though, things just seemed to be getting worse.</p><p> </p><p>When her parents abandoned her at five years old outside Plutt’s garage, social services had just decided to leave her with him since he was already running a group home. It did not take her long to figure out why he did it either. It was all for the money. Far too often, she went without food or properly fitting clothes. After being with him for about three years, things slowly began changing… for the worse. He became physically abusive toward her and the other children under his care. Somehow, he was able to hide this from the authorities.</p><p> </p><p>It really wasn’t until she turned twelve that she started noticing a different kind of behavior aimed at her. The kind that made her very uncomfortable. She began dressing in the most uncomplimentary clothing she could find and staying away from the house as long as possible. Those very attempts were what led to her current situation.</p><p> </p><p>It was a dark and cold December night in Hana City, New York. Plutt was particularly irritated at Rey for coming home from school ten minutes late, and, as punishment, had locked her out of the house for the night. Rey was no stranger to cold and hunger. Sadly, she was getting used to it and was coming to expect it. She did take some solace in the fact that she was <em>just</em> locked out and hungry. At least he had not hurt her like he did a few days ago. The bruises were thankfully well hidden under her winter clothes.</p><p> </p><p>The smells coming from the nearby pizzeria were making her mouth water. She looked longingly through the window at the happy families enjoying the beginning of the Christmas season. If there was one thing she wanted for Christmas this year (and really every year of her life so far), it was a family.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was hunger or cold or loneliness that spurred Rey into doing the one thing she swore she would never do: dig through the dumpster for food and anything that might keep her warm. It was in this very embarrassing position that Rey was caught. One minute she was leaning over the edge of the dumpster and the next a deep voice startled her into falling into said pile of garbage.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey? Is that you? Restaurant throw away something of yours?” He sounded amused, but Rey most certainly was not. This was disgusting. The smell was putrid. And what was that squishy item that she just touched?! The worst part? She couldn’t seem to get out. Rey was mortified.</p><p> </p><p>“Would you mind helping me out of here?” Rey chocked out as she tried to avoid throwing up. The next thing she knew two large hands were wrapped under her arms pulling her out of the trash heap. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck so that he could more easily help her.</p><p> </p><p>When she finally had her wits back and was safely on solid ground, she looked up into the face of Ben Solo, her best friend’s foster brother. They had never talked before. She just knew who he was and that Finn thought the world of both of his foster brothers.</p><p> </p><p>Ben was pretty well known in Hana City. His mother and uncle ran one of the most prestigious businesses in the state, and his father was a well-respected police officer. Aside from his family, Ben had made a name for himself. He was the captain of the high school basketball team, and the senior with the highest GPA in the school. Most people assumed that he would go to college on a basketball scholarship and then one day take over as CEO of Skywalker Industries.</p><p> </p><p>It was also widely assumed by all the girls in both the middle and high schools that once he was old enough, he would be considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the state if not the country. If his bank account didn’t qualify him for the position, then his looks surely would. He had the most beautiful, curly black hair and dark brown eyes Rey had ever seen. He was also tall and broad shouldered. Rey probably should have been intimidated by him considering how much bigger than her he was. She barely came past his elbow. For whatever reason, she decided that she would take Finn’s word at face value and trust Ben.</p><p> </p><p>“So you going to answer my question? If they threw out something of yours, I can help you find it. I’m sure your guardians will be wondering where you are so the quicker we work, the better.” He said in a very calm but urgent voice. He was about to step toward the dumpster when he noticed her crying. “Hey. I’m sorry if I freaked you out. Finn and Poe are always telling me that I come off a little too intense sometimes.”</p><p> </p><p>“No. That’s not it. You didn’t freak me out, and I didn’t lose anything in the dumpster other than my dignity. I… um… this is so embarrassing.” She started to cry a little harder, but froze when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the most compassionate pair of eyes she had ever seen. What she saw there gave her the courage to go on before he could say anything else. “I was hungry and that was the only option I had available.” She quickly whispered.</p><p> </p><p>His eyes grew wide as her words hit him. Where were her guardians? Why was she having to find her own food and in a dumpster no less?! He crouched down to her level. “Finn says you are a foster kid too. Where are your guardians?”</p><p> </p><p>“Plutt is back at the house.”</p><p> </p><p>Years of anger management classes were shot to pieces with that one statement. Ben knew how foster homes were supposed to work. Poe had been in the system for all of two months before Han and Leia had adopted him, and Finn was still in the system. Thoughts of adopting him as well had been put to rest when he and Lando took a shine to each other. But Ben knew for sure that Unkar Plutt was supposed to be meeting this girl’s needs so why was she out in the cold, dumpster diving?! If someone had done that to his foster brothers… <em>Breath in the nose; out the mouth, Ben. In the nose; out the mouth. 10, 9, 8… </em></p><p> </p><p>Rey could tell that Ben was angry, but she did not understand why. This was her problem, and heaven help him if he tried to pull the pity card. Their size difference would make no difference. She would bring him to his knees. Why she even told him any of this to begin with was a mystery to her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Ben.” Rey snapped her eyes up to the now standing Ben. He appeared to be calm now, but he was clearly up to something. From what she could tell, he meant her no harm.</p><p> </p><p>“I know. I’m Rey.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nice to officially meet you, Rey. Would you like to join me and my family for pizza? I am sure Finn would love to see you.” Whatever Rey was expecting, that was not it; and she was not one to turn down food, especially if she did not have to scavenge for it.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>“Hey guys, look who I found outside! She is going to join us for dinner. Mom, Dad, can I talk to you real fast?” Ben said in a rush. He was not about to give his family opportunity to protest.</p><p> </p><p>“Ben Solo! What are you doing?” Leia hissed at him as they stepped to the hallway outside the bathrooms. Ben was not sure how to handle this, but he knew what he had to do.</p><p> </p><p>“I found her outside dumpster diving. She said she is one of Plutt’s foster kids. I didn’t say anything to her but I saw bruising on her arms and down her neck that looked like someone had been abusing her. She is clearly underweight. I couldn’t leave her out there like that.”</p><p> </p><p>His parents visibly softened at this as they turned to look back at the table where Rey was laughing at Finn and Poe’s antics. “If that is the case, we need to call child services. Let’s let her eat first.”</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>It was the best pizza Rey had ever had in her life. She was finally warm, and, for the first time in a long time, her stomach was full. Leia had told her to eat as much as she wanted.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey, Han and I would like to talk to you for a minute. Would you mind if we sent these boys to get us hot chocolate across the street so we can talk privately?” Leia whispered to Rey so that they boys would not hear. She did not want to make Rey uncomfortable.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure.” Rey hesitantly responded.</p><p> </p><p>Leia sent Ben, Poe, and Finn across the street to get the hot chocolate. Once they were gone, Leia pinned Rey with a gently but serious look.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey, please understand that we only want to help you. None of what we are about to say is meant to cause you harm. Ben was really worried about you. He told us that you were out back looking for food in the dumpster, and that you are in a group home under the care of a man named Unkar Plutt. Is this true?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes to both.” Rey was beginning to shake. If Plutt found out that she was talking to the Solo’s and telling them what was going on at the group home, her goose would be well and truly cooked. Worse than the few bruises he had given her yesterday could be done to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey,” Han questioned carefully, “Why were you having to look for food in the dumpster? The state gives foster parents money to help cover any and all caretaking costs. Plutt should have enough to make sure you have food. For that matter, where is he? You shouldn’t be out alone like this at night.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey was hesitant to answer. She had never told anyone any of this. Plutt had made her life a nightmare since her parents abandoned her at his junk heap of a garage when she was five. Then her social worker had thought that maybe it was a good idea to leave her in that man’s care. Now that she was getting a little older, Plutt’s attention toward her was changing in ways that she was not comfortable with. If social services got called on him and they couldn’t find anything to have her safely removed from his care, Rey shuddered to think what he might do to her. For this reason alone, she was scared to answer Han’s questions. Apparently though, in her hesitance to answer and her general overall demeanor, she had given them enough to be concerned.</p><p> </p><p>Leia was the first to break the silence. “Rey, has he hurt you? Physically? We want to help you, sweetie, but we can’t if you won’t talk to us.”</p><p> </p><p>Han sent Ben a text and asked him to stall the other two for a couple more minutes so they could talk to Rey. It took them a further five minutes of encouraging and comforting her to finally get Rey to start talking. Needless to say, social services received a call. Plutt was later brought up on charges of child neglect, abuse, misappropriation of funds, and a few other unsavory activities.</p><p> </p><p>Most of the rest of that night was spent with either the police or social services. The Solo family was there for her through it all. Han and Leia were her advocates (“She is NOT going back to Plutt’s house. You better figure something out because we will stay here until you do.”), Poe became her personal comedian (“That’s Plutt? Why does he look like a blob fish?”), Finn was her cheerleader (“There are good foster families out there, Rey! I found one! You will too.”), and Ben was her guardian (“The blob fish – as Poe called him – won’t get anywhere near you, Rey. I won’t let him.”). By the time everything was settled for the night (there would be plenty more to take care of in the morning), Rey was falling asleep between Ben and Finn in the backseat of Han’s old Cherokee as she was being driven to her temporary foster home with the Solo’s.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey woke up the next morning in the most comfortable bed she had ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. Memories of the night before came back to her, and she nearly started to cry again. She was determined though not to ruin her first day away from Plutt by crying. She dried up her tears quickly so that she could properly take in her surroundings.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This was easily the most inviting space she had ever been in. The natural oak of the furniture complemented beautifully with the green pillows and white duvet and sheets on the bed. Rey didn’t normally care too much for anything cactus, but the pictures of them hanging above the bed fit so perfectly with the look of the room that she decided she liked these.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She noticed a small stack of clothes and other toiletry items sitting on the edge of the dresser along with a note.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Good morning, Rey</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>I had to make a quick grocery run this morning so you are there with all the boys (Well, Poe is with me; and, yes, I include my husband in the grouping of boys). We had another girl your age staying with us for a little while last year and she outgrew these clothes. They appear to be about your size. Feel free to use them. I washed them up for you. The bathroom is across the hall. If you need anything while I am gone, ask any of the boys.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Leia</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey gathered the clothes and toiletries and ran across the hall. She quickly showered, brushed her teeth, and put on her new (lightly used) clothes. There was no way she was going to spend her first day of freedom holed up in the bathroom. When she opened the bathroom door to return to her room, she was given another reason to move quickly: the smell of bacon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was the very picture of happy chaos in the kitchen when Rey walked in. Han was cooking the bacon, Ben was cutting up fruit, and Finn was enthusiastically taste testing whatever he could get his hands on. But the mess those three had made was laughable! Bacon is well known for causing a mess while it is cooking, but what could possibly be the reason that there was bacon grease splattered on the other side of a massive kitchen?! And how could it be possible to have that many dirty dishes from just cantaloupe, bacon, and canned cinnamon rolls? Rey didn’t care though. This was the best thing she had ever seen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well good morning, Rey! I would invite you to join in on the taste testing that Finn has been doing, but I’m afraid that he has eaten all the samples!” Han joked good naturedly as he patted Finn on the shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben and Finn both greeted her as she sat on one of the bar stools that gave her a good view of the madness happening in the kitchen. The moment was cut short though by a warm, heavy weight on her legs. She looked down to see a chocolate lab grinning lazily at her. He was a big dog but clearly nothing more than a sweetheart. Rey reached down and scratched his head. Her movement caught Ben’s attention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well that didn’t take long. That big baby is Chewie. Best dog you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. He was my dad’s partner for the last two years that he was a cop. They both retired together even though Chewie is still technically old enough to work. No idea how Dad managed that. I will have to introduce you to Kylo after we pick him back up from the vet.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You have another dog?!” Rey could barely contain her excitement. She loved dogs!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh yes. Ben’s pride and joy. He found him abandoned behind the school almost two months ago. Poor thing was too young to be on his own so Ben took care of him. Hand fed him for weeks. They are inseparable.” Finn supplied before Ben could get anything out. Rey knew it but this was just confirmation: Ben might look big and scary, but he was a total softie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What kind of dog is he?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s a black lab with more energy than we will ever know what to do with. Ben wants to have him trained as a therapy dog.” Han replied with a fond smile. Ball of energy or not, Kylo had been good for Ben. Having the responsibility of taking care of the little dog had taught Ben so much about life in general. Because the pup was his responsibility, Ben really had to step up in order to keep him. Han and Leia attributed Ben’s maturity mainly to two things: the kids they helped foster and taking care of Kylo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leia and Poe returned a few minutes later with the groceries they needed to complete breakfast. And what a breakfast it was! There was nothing spectacular about what was served. It was just eggs, bacon, fruit, and cinnamon rolls. What made it so wonderful for Rey was the way she was being treated. She was not used to it. When she started to only put a tiny bit on her plate, Finn stepped in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey, you can eat as much as you want. There is more than enough to go around. Han always makes way too much. What do you want and I will pass it to you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey thought for just a moment before she hesitantly answered. There was one thing on the table that she wanted more than any of the rest of it. “I’ve never had cinnamon rolls.” Finn just stared at her incredulously for a moment before he asked for the cinnamon rolls and passed the plate to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey had never tasted anything so delicious in her life! Definitely a new favorite. With Ben and Finn sitting on either side of her passing her plate after plate of food, she ate more in the one meal than she might have eaten all month.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Breakfast was only the start of a wonderful and emotionally exhausting day for Rey though. The Solo’s took both of their cars to Plutt’s house (junk yard really), and helped her pack her things. They apparently thought that she would have a little more, but, by the time they were done packing all her belongings, there was only one medium sized duffle bag and two small boxes. They quickly noted her lack of winter clothes and decided that they needed to go shopping. Rey tried her hardest to protest. She felt like they were doing too much or that she would be become a burden and then they would abandon her like her parents did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey, look at me.” Finn called out gently after Rey started to protest for what had to be the fiftieth time that day. “It’s okay to need things, and it is okay to let people help you. Besides, the money that is being used is supposed to be used for you. Even if that was not available, Han and Leia would still help you. That is the kind of family they are. I had trouble accepting help when I first got here. It seemed so hard to believe that anyone could genuinely want to help, but they did. You want to hear the advice Poe and Ben gave me? It wasn’t earth shattering advice, but it was rather helpful.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey was crying a little by this time. The amount of kindness she was receiving today was more than she could ever remember receiving without ulterior motives in her life. They were just doing it because it was the right thing to do, and because they wanted to do it. She didn’t know how to process what she was experiencing, so she just nodded to Finn eager to hear anything that might help.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Treat this like eating a really big burger.” Rey gave a watery snicker at the comparison. That one had to come from Poe. “Take it one bite at a time. Start here for today, let them help you get clothes so you don’t freeze and eat whatever you need to in order to get full. How does that sound?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I guess. I think I can do that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was glad when they finally got back to the house. They helped her get her things to her room, and then allowed her some space so that she could unpack. It was much needed quiet alone time. It had been the best day of her life, but things had changed so much in such a short time that she wasn’t sure what to do. She went from being cold and starving to having a full belly and the warmest clothes imaginable (Leia had picked up on her hesitance to pick out clothes so she introduced her to the sale racks. Leia apparently loves shopping there.). Only a day ago, no one really seemed to care about her, now she was crying in her room because of how overwhelmed she was by this family’s kindness. She ended up crying herself to sleep that night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nightmares were not an uncommon occurrence for Rey. She had come to expect them most nights. It was to the point now that they almost didn’t bother her. Almost. Occasionally though, she would have a nightmare that would send her reeling for hours; making it impossible to go back to sleep. This was the position she found herself in on her second night at the Solo’s house. Something just had to go and ruin the best day she had had in a while (emotional breakdowns notwithstanding).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When she woke up screaming and sobbing, she was surprised to find that she was not alone for long. Ben suddenly appeared in the doorway of her room looking around like he was expecting some kind of attacker to be there. When he saw nothing, he crossed the room to her, sat down next to her on the bed, and offered her a hug. Never in her memory had someone attempted to help her after she had one of her awful nightmares. Rey was at a loss. She just fell into his arms and cried.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve got you, Rey. You’re safe.” <em>Is this what it is like to have a protective big brother?</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>She wasn’t sure how long they were like that before Han and Leia poked their heads into her room. She realized that Ben only got there before them because he was right across the hall, and they were on the first floor at the other end of a rather large house. She would learn later the next day that the only reason Poe and Finn weren’t in there as well had to do with Poe’s excessively loud snoring and Finn’s use of ear plugs because of said snoring.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leia came in and whispered something to Ben before she and Han excused themselves. Ben continued to hold Rey and let her cry it out before he spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Want some hot chocolate? Mom is downstairs making some. We can turn on the Christmas lights and watch a cheesy Christmas movie until you think you can go back to sleep.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey nodded, not trusting that her voice would work, and followed Ben downstairs to the living room. Han and Leia had turned on the Christmas lights, lit the fireplace, placed mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table, and were sitting in their recliners. Rey got comfortable on the couch while Ben turned on It’s a Wonderful Life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before Rey knew it, she was actually getting sleepy. Whether it be the blanket Ben had passed her after they sat down, the delicious hot chocolate Leia had made, or the loving atmosphere of this home, Rey was not sure what caused her to start drifting off after a nightmare that normally would have kept her awake all night. Regardless, about forty-five minutes into the movie, Rey fell asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I based Chewie on a retired police dog that I used to know. Best dog I have every had the chance to be around. He was very loving, but it was a bad idea to mess with his people.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Decided to update a day early since I won't be able to do so tomorrow. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After living with the Solo’s for the last few months, Rey was sure she would never be able to go to another foster home when one was found. She wished for the millionth time that day alone that this was her permanent home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her friendship with Finn had only grown stronger, and they had taken to calling each other brother and sister. They did everything together, and, since they were in the same class at school, this was not a difficult task. People had started saying that they were joined at the hip. Their favorite thing to do together quickly became playing video games on the weekend. Rey had gotten rather good at Mario Kart. Finn, who had been the undefeated champion at the Solo household, officially had competition.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben had become her quiet champion. Even though Finn helped her the most on the first day that she was there, it was Ben who took over the job. When she was bullied at school, Ben was there to teach her how to defend herself the right way (“We don’t want you going to the office a lot like I did when I was in middle school.”). When she just had a rough day or was struggling to accept the love this family offered her, Ben was there to encourage her. When she had her nightmares, Ben would always show up, hug her, sit on the floor beside her bed, and talk to her until she could go back to sleep. And he always told her the same thing after waking her up from the nightmare, “I’ve got you, sweetheart. You’re safe.” They do not know what caused the use of that endearment the first time, but it stuck, and they never questioned it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey did wonder from time to time what caused Ben to treat her that way. Like he understood. How could someone who had grown up in such a loving home possibly understand what she was going through?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unlike her relationship with Finn and Ben, her relationship with Poe was combative. They would consider each other friends, but how they loved to antagonize each other! Which was the very cause of the “discussion” that was happening in the living room on the day that changed both Rey and Ben’s lives.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Lets see… Found on road dead. Fix or repair daily. Oh hey, Mr. Mechanic, what is wrong with my car? Well that’s easy. The problem has been circled for you.” Rey snarked off in her most sarcastic tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m just saying, Rey, Ford is clearly the best vehicle. As an added bonus, they are so easy to fix because everything can be gotten to without much trouble.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey snorted loudly and rolled her eyes. “Has it ever occurred to you that the reason everything has to be easy to get to is because it requires frequent attention?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Poe made an affronted sound, but as he prepared for what Rey was sure was a brilliant retort, Kylo excitedly bounded into the living room fresh from his trip to the groomers. The puppy that had once given his attention almost exclusively to Ben, had taken quite the shine to Rey. “Traitor” was Ben’s affectionate nickname for the hyperactive pup.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, sweet boy! Are you all clean now?” Rey couldn’t help but laugh uproariously as Kylo continued to seek attention from his second favorite person. “You wanna play?” Kylo ran off and returned with his favorite rope toy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey kept Kylo busy while Ben and Han brought in the groceries they had picked up. They had volunteered to go out together so they could take care of something important. They had not mentioned anything about what it was to anyone else, but whatever it was, was evidently a big deal. Ben and Han had been in a laughing and joking mood when they left, but now… it’s not that they were in a bad mood. They were just very subdued as they put things away while Chewie contentedly followed Han around.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey.” Leia called out from the office. “Could you please come here for a moment?” She had been there all morning with Maz Kanata, a good friend of the family. The older woman had flown in from Takodana, California, the week before and was staying with the Solos for a further three weeks. She was getting ready to open a restaurant near one of the ski resorts in Takodana, and had come to New York to receive some business counsel from Leia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey really did like Maz. She was a unique woman in her sixties who clearly had missed the memo that the seventies had ended a while ago. From her round glasses to her bell bottom pants, she looked like she had just stepped out of a history book. Anyone who knew her though, knew not to underestimate her. This woman was a genius and had more insight into people than was sometimes comfortable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey stood up from her spot on the floor, gave the toy to Kylo, and made her way to the office. It was not a place that she typically entered. Most of the time, work of some sort from Skywalker Industries was being conducted in this office. For that reason, the kids were not allowed to go in the office without permission. On the rare moments that they were invited in, it was always because something big had happened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The office was quite spacious and beautifully designed. The room was decorated in whites and greys. The space was dominated by a large desk with several drawers and bookshelf space. Two comfortable chairs were pulled up to the desk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sitting at the desk were the two ladies in question. The work from the day appeared to have been put away for some time. In fact, it almost looked like it had never been brought out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leia stood up and crossed the room to put a hand on Rey’s shoulder. “Rey, dear, Maz, Han, and I have something we would like to talk to you about. Han will be joining us in a moment. Feel free to make yourself comfy.” Leia pointed Rey to a chair that had been brought in and set next to the desk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you suppose they are talking about in there? It has been forever and I am starving!” Poe whined to Ben and Finn as they sat in the living room playing Mario Kart.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stop your whining, Poe! You are a big boy. Go get a snack.” Finn said as he swatted at Poe’s head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finn and Poe might have been playing around and not paying attention, but Ben was pretty sure he knew exactly what was happening behind that door. Maz had been working toward adopting a teen girl for years but a good fit had never been found for her. He just knew this would happen when she and Rey hit it off on the first day that Maz was in town. He can still hear them chortling as they thoroughly wrecked everyone else in Monopoly when Lando came over a few nights before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was happy for Rey. Maz was an amazing lady, oddities aside. She would be a great mom for Rey. It would be just the two of them starting a restaurant… in California. For some reason, the thought of the plucky little thirteen-year old moving to other side of the nation made his heart hurt. He was going to miss her. She had easily become one of his favorite people to be around.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Not that it would matter if any of them left once June came. Ben knew that by June it wouldn’t matter that Finn would be living with his adoptive father, Lando. It wouldn’t matter that Poe would be off to NYU for a business degree while simultaneously getting his pilot’s license. It wouldn’t matter that Rey was moving to California. He wouldn’t be there for any of it anyway. Someone else now controlled his schedule. His only regret was that his parents would go from having four kids running around to just themselves and two dogs. He just had to figure out how to spill the beans to everyone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rest of the afternoon and evening went by in a blur. No one asked what had been discussed between the adults and Rey in the library or what Ben and Han had done that morning. In fact, there was very little discussion about anything. Even Poe seemed to understand that tonight was not the night to distract people from their thoughts with his silly antics. That would be a job for tomorrow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey had not been looking forward to bed time that night. She knew that the opportunity she had been presented with was a great one! Maz wanted to adopt her! She would have a permanent home! This is what she wanted more than anything, but that didn’t stop the fear from creeping in. What if it was a joke? What if it fell through? What if Maz changed her mind? Would Maz leave her like her parents did? What would the others think? Would she lose this family she had found the last few months? With those thoughts racing through her mind, she laid down to sleep sure of what all the emotions of the day would bring forth in the night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was right. Her churning thoughts and emotions awakened the old monster that had lain dormant in her mind for a solid, blissful month now. Her nightmares had calmed down some since she came to the Solo’s, but the emotions of the day brought them back full force, and Rey found herself screaming and crying as she woke up. She rolled over and sobbed into her pillow. A heartbeat later, she heard the familiar greeting as Ben gathered her into a warm hug.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve got you, sweetheart. You’re safe.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For once, his presence did nothing to calm her down. She actually started crying harder because she realized that if she moved to California with Maz, Ben would not be there to keep her safe. Her breathing became ragged as she struggled to get in air. With her ear pressed to Ben’s chest, she could hear his heartrate pick up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey, It’s okay. You’re safe. Breathe, sweetheart. Please, breathe.” He begged in a panicked voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took a little while of him talking to her to get Rey to settle down. She knew she would pay for this cry session with a nasty headache, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was about to lose the very thing that made her feel safe for the first time in her life. So she told him everything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maz wants to adopt me.” She choked out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s wonderful, Rey! Maz will take good care of you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey leaned back against her headboard while Ben found his usual spot on the floor next to her bed. “That means I will be moving to California. I won’t be able to see you guys…” She started to cry softly. “I want to go with her but I don’t want to lose you, Han, Leia, Finn, and Poe.” She hugged her knees up to her chest and continued to cry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You won’t lose us.” Ben told her gently. “We will be right here for you. You can call and I am sure that Maz will come back out to visit. She won’t leave you behind.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a long silence during which Ben thought that maybe Rey had gone to sleep. He started to get up and leave when he heard her call out to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What did you and Han do this morning? You didn’t seem yourself when you got back.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben sucked in a shuddering breath and raked his hand though his hair. He thought he might have a couple more days to figure out how to tell people. After what happened to his grandfather, this was likely to be a big shock to most. “Something we have been talking about for a while.” He hesitated to go on knowing that another big shock was not going to help Rey, but she insisted that she wanted to know. “Dad took me to a recruitment office today.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Recruitment office?” Rey confusedly asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I signed up to join the Marine Corp today. If all goes well, I leave for basic training on June 5.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey was left in stunned silence. Ben was always the protector, and his family had a long history in the military, so it should have come as no shock that he would do this, but it did. Rey did not like the idea of her friend being put in that kind of danger, but she was also proud of him. The longer she thought about it, the more she realized that she couldn’t imagine Ben doing anything else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Can I ask you a question, Rey?” When she nodding in the affirmative, he plowed ahead as carefully as possible hoping that she would answer. They didn’t normally talk about her dreams. “What was so different about the dream tonight? I have never seen you that upset. It kinda scared me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey fiddled with the blanket for a little bit, too embarrassed to actually say aloud what had caused the problem. She knew Ben well enough by now, though, that she knew he wouldn’t let this go. “It wasn’t the dream. I panicked because if I go with Maz, you won’t be there to keep me safe.” She quietly choked out the words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben just sat next to her bed quietly contemplating what she had said. All of the sudden, he jumped up and walked out of the room. Rey started to panic thinking that she had scared him off and that he was going to leave her like her parents did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just as the panic was giving way to tears again, Ben walked back into the room carrying something dark in his arms. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders until she calmed down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry for just leaving like that. I had an idea and acted on it without thinking. Here.” He dropped the item he had been carrying in her lap. It was his favorite black hoodie. This particular one had been made by their family friend and Leia’s personal designer Sabine Wren. She wanted to design something for him for his sixteenth birthday and this was the result. “Take this with you. Maybe it will help.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ben, I can’t take this! This hoodie is special. Sabine made it just for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I want you to take it, Rey. If it helps you, then it is completely worth it. Besides, if it makes you feel any better, it was getting rather tight. Good night, Rey.” Ben just smiled at her as he stood up and strode out of the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Goodnight, Ben.” She whispered into the now empty room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey picked up the hoodie and slid it on. It was massive on her, and it was warm. She snuggled down into the blankets and slowly drifted into a deep sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Days bled into weeks and weeks into months. The school year slipped by far too quickly for Rey’s liking. Two weeks after her meeting with Leia, Han, and Maz in the office, both Rey and Ben made their plans known to everyone. Hugs were given readily, and tears flowed freely, but everyone was happy for them. The next week, Finn was able to move in with Lando and officially change his last name to Calrissian.</p><p> </p><p>By the time the end of May rolled around, Rey didn’t know how to feel. She would be in Hana City to say goodbye to Ben as he left for basic training, but she would not be there when he came back. Finn and Poe would be there to see her off at the airport, but she would not have their antics around to keep her laughing once she was in California. More often than not these days, she went to sleep wearing the hoodie Ben had given her for comfort.</p><p> </p><p>June 5 came too soon. Lando had given Finn permission to stay a couple nights at the Solo house so he would be there when Ben left. As much as they all wanted to stay up late with Ben, Han had heavily discouraged staying up too late due to the fact that Ben’s sleep schedule was about to be changed dramatically. He really should get a good night’s rest.</p><p> </p><p>The morning of the fifth, they all quietly plodded around the house as Ben finished collecting the last few items that he was allowed to take with him. So basically, not much. He had received his plane ticket from the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and was ready to go to Parris Island in South Carolina.</p><p> </p><p>They climbed into Han’s beloved Cherokee, Falcon, and began the drive to the airport. There was light chatter in the car as they drove, but no one seemed interested in talking about anything heavier than the release of the next Marvel movie.</p><p> </p><p>About half-way to the airport, Rey realized something: this would likely be the last time she saw Ben for a very long time. In that moment she was glad that she was sitting in the very same seat that she had been in the night they had rescued her from Plutt - right between her two best friends.</p><p> </p><p>Everything was a blur of activity once they reached the airport. They all clamored out of the car and wandered inside stopping just short of the gate. Most all goodbyes had been said last night or this morning, but this was official. This was it. From this point on, Ben would not be around as much and would likely (once training was over) be put in some very dangerous situations.</p><p> </p><p>Poe and Finn were the first to step up and hug Ben before they excused themselves from the group to wait outside. Han pulled Ben into a tight hug while telling him how proud he was of him. Ben pulled his mother into lingering hug and whispered how much he loved her. Then he turned to Rey.</p><p> </p><p>Rey had been silently watching the whole thing unsure what to do. Ben wasn’t her brother. She had not thought of him like that for a couple months. He had become an important part of her life that she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to. She felt the moment the first tears dropped down her cheeks. All morning she had made a valiant effort not to cry and one look from Ben had shattered that.</p><p> </p><p>He knelt down and pulled her into a hug. “I’m gonna miss you, sweetheart. Remember something, please. I am NOT abandoning you. That would mean that I have no intentions of seeing you again.” Shortly after she started living with the Solos, Rey had told him about her parents abandoning her. He was making sure she understood that he was not doing that, and it meant the world to her.</p><p> </p><p>Ben let her go, hugged his parents one last time, and walked through the gate. The ride home was quieter than the whole morning had been.  </p><p> </p><p>With her protector gone, the next few nights starred some of the worst nightmares Rey had experienced since she came to the Solo’s house. Han and Leia were at wit’s end on how to help her. After the fourth night, Han announced that he had an idea. He stepped out of Rey’s room and returned a few minutes later with Kylo leading the way. The pup jumped on the bed with Rey and snuggled up next to her.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>By the end of June, everything was settled for Maz to adopt Rey. She just needed to sign the document that would make it official and take Rey to Takodana, California. They set up the date for that to happen on June 30. Rey and Maz would pack up her things, ship what needed to be shipped, and fly out on July 5.</p><p> </p><p>“What are we watching tonight, Rey?” Finn asked around large bites of ice cream during the sleepover they were having on her last night in New York. They had already eaten their share of hamburgers and hotdogs, played several rounds of basketball, and returned from watching fireworks. Rey was tired but not yet ready for the day to be over. As much as she would miss it here, though, she was ready to go to California.</p><p> </p><p>Rey thought about their movie choices carefully while she worked on her own rather large bowl of ice cream. “How about Lion King. That’s my favorite.”</p><p> </p><p>Normally, Poe would have fussed about it, but he let her have her say tonight. He just got right up and put the DVD in the player and sat back down to his own bowl of ice cream. Apparently, even though he wouldn’t say it out loud, he was going to miss Rey.</p><p> </p><p>“Just make sure you are in bed at a somewhat decent hour, kids. None of this 3:00 AM nonsense I caught you at in May.” Han admonished them with a crooked grin and his finger pointed in warning as he walked down the hall to go to bed. Leia and Maz were in the office finishing up the last bit of paperwork for Maz’s restaurant before the afternoon flight the next day.</p><p> </p><p>“Us?! Stay up late?!” Finn asked in mock derision. “Inconceivable!”</p><p> </p><p>“Rey!” Poe whined. “Why did you ever let Finn watch that movie?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Princess Bride is a classic, Poe. Deal with it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You say that about a lot of movies, Rey. Doesn’t make it true.” Thus started the newest round of friendly verbal sparring between Rey and Poe. It lasted until 11:30 when Poe said he was going to bed and was promptly called an “old man” by Maz who had decided to play a few rounds of Uno with Finn and Rey.</p><p> </p><p>All three finally gave up trying to stay awake around 1:30 AM and trudged upstairs. Han and Leia allowed Rey to keep Kylo with her that night again instead of in his kennel. She sat up for a while talking to Kylo and reading a book aloud to him not wanting her time here to come to end. Sometime after 3:00 AM, she laid down and snuggled up against Kylo’s warm fur as she allowed herself to fall sleep.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>After the second tearful goodbye at an airport in as many months, Rey and Maz boarded their plane. Rey was on her way to start an adventure. Despite the tears and the heartbreak at leaving the first people she considered family, she could not stop the excitement that welled up in her at the realization that after all this time wishing for a family, she had not just one family, but two! The first with the Solo’s and the second with her adoptive mother, Maz! For however short a time it might have been, she also had a dog (or two). Sadness at leaving her first family aside, she was excitedly looking forward to the future.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It was my goal to make this chapter as hopeful as possible. Rey really is excited about the future, but, naturally, she is not 100% okay with leaving behind her first real family. So I couldn't make it all happy. </p><p>Also, I can't find it in myself to leave it at this chapter this weekend. I plan to upload another chapter later today or tomorrow. Get ready for a time jump!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As promised, here is the next chapter! Even pulled in a picture of the hoodie! Until next Sunday!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Five Years Later – Takodana, California</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Rey, I love you to pieces, but why are you wearing that hoodie <em>again</em>? It is way too big on you. What is the deal with it?” Rose asked as she exasperatedly threw her hands in the air. She was always trying to get Rey to dress up a little more so that maybe she could get a date. She and Maz had that in common.</p><p> </p><p>Rey had met Rose while they were in their senior year of high school. The quirky, petite, dark haired girl had shown up in Rey’s life in blaze of glory. They had first met at the mall on a bright summer afternoon. Rey was having trouble with a middle-aged man who had apparently not been taught as a child to keep his hands to himself. She was about to educate him herself when Rose had popped up threatening him with what looked like a hot pink flashlight. Turns out, said flashlight doubled as a taser. They had been best friends ever since.</p><p> </p><p>After graduation, they had opted to get an apartment together since they would be attending the same college and working at Maz’s restaurant.</p><p> </p><p>The Castle, as Maz had decided to call her restaurant, had quickly become a favorite destination for all hikers and skiers in the area. Maz had a recipe for chicken noodle soup that kept people coming back. The atmosphere of the restaurant provided just as much of a draw as the food did. It was a beautifully designed cabin with an equally amazing view of the mountains and nearby lake. The inside featured a cozy lounge; two large, stone fireplaces; and several stunning picture windows in the dining hall. It was definitely Rey’s favorite place to be.</p><p> </p><p>Rose started snapping her fingers in Rey’s face to get her attention. “Yoohoo. Earth to Rey. Hoodie? What’s up? You only wear that when having a bad day.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, Rose. Spaced out there for a minute.”</p><p> </p><p>“No kidding. Come on. Talk to me. What’s wrong?” Rose was wearing that concerned look on her face that reminded Rey of a mother hen.</p><p> </p><p>“Matt ghosted me.” Rey had been talking to a fellow freshman for about three weeks now. She really thought this one might stick around longer than the last guy. She wasn’t wrong. He lasted about four days longer, but she wanted more. She wanted something permanent.</p><p> </p><p>“So you broke out a hoodie that clearly belongs to a guy.” Rose stated with a knowing look that Rey returned with a scathing one of her own. “Don’t look at me like that! Do you want me to break out the shovel and go deal with the loser? I can call Finn and get him out here to help. Then we can meet just like you keep wanting us to.” Rose used the mention of Finn in the hopes of distracting Rey from some worthless guy.</p><p> </p><p>It sort of worked. Rey laughed a little. It was true. She had been trying hard for the last few months to set them up somehow. Finn had heard all about Rose during just about every phone call he and Rey had since she met her roommate. When he finally saw a picture, he went from interested to enamored.</p><p> </p><p>“Matt is not worth the time or the plane ticket, Rose. Don’t make Finn come out here just to beat up a guy that I was simply talking to. When Finn comes out, it will be for that date I have been trying to get the two of you to go on.” Rey winked at her friend. “Besides, you know I can do my own shovel work.”</p><p> </p><p>“I am well aware of your abilities! My poor high school ex’s nose will never be the same.” Rose stopped to think for a moment before she got a mischievous look on her face. “Fine! I will make a deal with you. I will meet Finn. On one condition. Hoodie. Story. Now.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey rolled her eyes. She had told Rose about her childhood, about Plutt, and about the Solo family. The one thing she never told her about was how close she was to Ben. That was something she hoped desperately to keep to herself so no one would try to meddle. And Rose was a professional meddler. She would hear about this friendship and automatically get involved.</p><p> </p><p>Ben had been assigned to a base in Japan after graduating from basic training. Once he was settled in, he had gotten her address from his parents and started writing to her. It was the best he could do with the schedule he kept and the fact that she did not have a phone at the time. He wasn’t able to write often, but it was obvious he was trying to keep his promise to not abandon her.</p><p> </p><p>By her junior year of high school, she had come to the realization that the reason she had a hard time becoming genuinely interested in any of the guys at school was because she had developed a major crush on Ben. Once she realized that, she did all she could to bat it away. She even started dating a guy in her senior year. That ended horribly at prom and was the reason that she swore she would never again wear a strapless dress.</p><p> </p><p>“Why is it so important to know about the hoodie? It’s just a hoodie.”</p><p> </p><p>“A very large hoodie. I can also tell that it was handmade by someone who knows what they are doing. Plus, for you to have kept what is obviously a man’s hoodie this long, it had to have come from someone pretty special, and I can only think of a few men that are that special to you. From what I can tell from pictures, it is too big for Finn and Poe. I have not seen a picture of Ben, but based on the few pics I have seen of Han… If Ben is anything like his father…” Rose said with a knowing smirk. Well, so much for keeping Rose’s meddling ways out of things.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know it isn’t Han’s?”</p><p> </p><p>Rose sighed and gave her a disparaging look.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, its Ben’s.” Rey gave in with a sigh. She quickly continued before Rose could start making her assumptions known. “But it is not what you are thinking. He gave it to me when I was thirteen and scared. He was my protector. I used to have extremely bad nightmares. This was his way of helping me when he could no longer be there because I was moving to California and he was joining the military. Happy?”</p><p> </p><p>Rose’s face had melted into a sappy grin. “That is so sweet! I like him already. I want to meet him too! So now I need to add meet Ben Solo and give him a big thank-you-for-taking-care-of-my-best-friend hug to my to do list for when I finally meet this family! I will put that in right next to ‘go on a date with Finn’ and ‘go flying with Poe.’”</p><p> </p><p>“Not sure when you will get to meet him in person. I haven’t seen him since he went to basic training. He has been stationed in Hawaii since he got back from his last deployment, and he is being moved again because they have a new unit they want him to be a part of. No idea what that entails. He can’t say.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh. Well that stinks. But hey! He knows where you live, and he knows about the restaurant. Maybe he will pop in for a visit one day and surprise you. It will be like all those cute soldier reunion videos on the internet!” Rose proclaimed with a happy giggle.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>“Good evening, girls!” Maz greeted them cheerfully as they made their way into the kitchen of The Castle.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Mama.” Rey responded fondly as she wrapped the older woman in a big hug.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodness! You act like haven’t seen me in forever! You were just here last night, child.” Maz affectionately swatted Rey’s arm.</p><p> </p><p>“Mama, you heard the doctor after your last fall. You really should take it easy. You aren’t as young as you used to be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Child. I fully intend to still be running this watering hole when I am in my thousands. Don’t speak to me about age. I can still keep up with you young whippersnappers just fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey rolled her eyes affectionately as she continued her attempts to get Maz to take a break.</p><p> </p><p>Rose watched as two of her favorite ladies continued with their daily greeting. She loved watching how they interacted. It was so clear how much they loved each other. Rose was grateful that Rey had Maz. Knowing what Rey had been through made what Rose was privy to on a daily basis something she enjoyed witnessing.</p><p> </p><p>“All right. Get your aprons on. There will be plenty of time to chat after work.” Maz turned to go to her office, but then she seemed to remember something. “Oh, Rey. Could you be sure to be here on Thursday by 2:00? There is someone I want you to meet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mama! Not another! The last three guys have not worked out. I love you but please stop.” Rey begged.</p><p> </p><p>“I think this fellow is a good one.” Maz gave her a sly grin.</p><p> </p><p>“What if I came with you, Rey? Maybe that will help. And then if you needs an escape, I can help with that!” Even though she addressed the question to Rey, Rose aimed the question at both women.</p><p> </p><p>“That should be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey looked back and forth between a very sympathetic Rose and a devious looking Maz. She gave in with a loud groan. “Fine. But first sign that this guy is anything like the others, I am out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>Whoever it was the she wanted to introduce her daughter to, Maz was pretty excited. In fact, Rey had never seen her this excited to introduce her to someone. Nor had she ever seen her look so mischievous about setting her daughter up. Rey just couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p><em>Oh, when will this class be over?!</em> Rey thought as she sat in a 7:00 AM physical science class on Thursday. Her professor was very knowledgeable about his subject, but his voice could send her right off. He was so monotone! Whoever thought it was a good idea to put his class at this hour was simply insane. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that Rose really got science, Rey would be failing this class!</p><p> </p><p>She still had two more classes for the day before she would be going back to the apartment where Rose would push her to wear something other than her favorite pair of jeans and Ben’s hoodie. To be honest, she was tired of meeting guys for the moment and just wanted to be left alone. To her, this meant that the hoodie was the best option. It had certainly assisted in keeping away the riff raff at college. That one desperate upperclassman that had given her too much attention had backed off rather quickly when she came in wearing it.</p><p> </p><p>The next two classes went about the same as the first: slow. Rey was becoming more and more grateful that her freshman year of college would be over in one more month. Now she just needed to make it through this afternoon. She silently groaned as she looked at the clock and realized that there was another four hours to go before the dreaded meeting.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>When she finally got home, she was pleasantly surprised to find that, for once, she was wrong. Rose did not push her to wear a bunch of make-up, spend forever on her hair, or wear a very nice outfit. She actually encouraged her to be comfortable.</p><p> </p><p>“We know nothing about this guy except that Maz is excited for you to meet him. The last few guys have been duds and I can tell you are not into this.” Rose sympathetically patted her shoulder as they stood in Rey’s closet.</p><p> </p><p>All of the sudden, Rey decided that she wanted to do the opposite of what everyone expected. She pulled out her favorite skirt and sweater combo with a pair of heels and dragged a shell-shocked Rose to the bathroom to help her fix her hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure about this? You didn’t seem to be too interested in meeting this guy when you left this morning and now you are dressing up! I don’t understand!” Rose protested while absentmindedly curling Rey’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, the way I see it is, this is going to go one of two ways. One – He is going to be a loser and it will end up being just the two of us hanging out. In which case, I haven’t dressed up in a while and neither have you. We can have a fun girl’s night. Or two – He is going to be an awesome guy and I will end up with a date. This is a win-win. Now! Go pull out an outfit and I will help you with your make-up!”</p><p> </p><p>An hour later, they were climbing into Rey’s Civic and driving to The Castle. The closer they got, the more nervous Rey became. They would be about a half hour early. At least that meant that they could enjoy a cup of coffee and the view of the mountains from the outside seating area. That also meant that Rey had more time to get nervous about another botched set up. She was very grateful that Rose had volunteered to join her this time.</p><p> </p><p>In fact, she had gotten so nervous about this meeting after they sat down outside the restaurant that Rose had noticed. “Rey. Do you want to just go ahead and leave? You are going to make yourself sick with all that worrying. I am sure Maz won’t mind. She can probably even patch things up with whoever this guy is.”</p><p> </p><p>“Its only just now 2:00. Let’s wait another ten minutes and see if he even shows up. If not, we can leave.” Rey took a deep breath and stared out at the beautiful scenery around her. It was nothing but mountains and trees as far as the eye could see. The nearby lake was sparkling in the bright sunlight. She leaned back and closed her eyes as she continued to soak in her surroundings. The chirping of birds, laughing of children, and the wind gently blowing in the trees made for a peaceful moment. A moment that was rather abruptly interrupted by something solid and furry slamming into her followed by Maz’s voice booming throughout the restaurant.</p><p> </p><p>“BEN SOLO!”</p><p> </p><p>Rey’s eyes snapped open to see a large, black lab excitedly dancing around her. She couldn’t help the bubble of excitement that exploded in her as she recognized the dog that had recognized her first.</p><p> </p><p>“KYLO! Hey, boy! I have missed you!” It was all Rey could do to pet him. He was everywhere. When he finally settled down in front of her, she couldn’t help the tears that formed in her eyes as she hugged and kissed the sweet lab.  </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Rey.” Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the voice. It was deeper and smoother than it had been five years ago, but she would know that voice anywhere. “Nice to see that I take second place to a dog.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey looked up into the amused eyes of Ben Solo. If he had been considered to be good looking before the Marine Corp, he was downright handsome now. In fact, Rey couldn’t think of anyone who she would consider to be more handsome than him. When she had seen him last, he was tall and gangly. He might have grown another inch, but he was no longer gangly. He seemed to be made out of solid muscle. And the smile he was giving her reached all the way to his gorgeous brown eyes. Oh. She had never noticed before. He has dimples.</p><p> </p><p>Unable to contain her excitement at seeing him, Rey jumped up from her seat at the table and launched herself into his arms. They were both laughing as he swung her around in hug. When he set her back on her feet and looked down at her, Rey couldn’t help but think that he looked like he had been hit across the head with a board. His expression was a little dazed. He just stared at her for a moment before stepping back and shoving his hands in his pockets. Both of them were smiling and blushing profusely.</p><p> </p><p>Rey suddenly remembered that Rose was sitting there watching this whole thing. She turned to find her friend grinning widely at her. Rey could see the gears turning in her head as she looked between Rey and Ben.</p><p> </p><p>In an effort to distract her friend from her meddling ways, Rey quickly introduced them. “Rose this is Ben Solo. Ben this is my roommate Rose.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey could tell that Rose was assessing the man before as she shook his hand. She then did something that Rey had not seen coming. She checked something off her to-do list. Rose gave Ben one of her bone crushing hugs. Ben was shocked to say the least. Rey had to suppress a laugh at the height difference between the two.</p><p> </p><p>Rose released him and began what was obviously a speech she had been wanting to give for a while. “I just really want to thank you for helping my best friend when she was younger. She has told me so much about you and your family, and I am just so excited to finally meet you! You know, she uses that hood-“</p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t we sit down!” Rey, now blushing deeply, quickly interrupted Rose before she embarrassed her.</p><p> </p><p>Maz chose that moment to walk over to their table. “It’s good to see you again, boy. I thought the military would keep you away forever.” She looked over at Rey with that same sly smile from the weekend when she had informed Rey that she had someone she wanted her to meet. Rey’s jaw dropped as she realized that Maz had been talking about Ben. Maz knew he was coming and had told her nothing. Rose was going to melt into peals of laughter later because this is the exact kind of surprise that people videoed and put on Youtube.</p><p> </p><p>Her excitement began to dim a little as she realized that this time with Ben more than likely had an expiration date. “How long <em>are</em> you in town for?” Rey dreaded hearing the answer.</p><p> </p><p>Ben shyly grinned at her. “You know the base that is about thirty miles from here?” Rey nodded as her excitement began to build again. She was pretty sure she knew what he was going to say next. “I told you in my last letter that I was being reassigned to a new base. This is it. I am going to be living at the Takodana base for, and I quote, ‘a good long while.’ The only thing that will be the cause of me leaving is if I get deployed again.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey could not remember the last time she smiled so much, but the news that he would be living only thirty miles away for an indefinite amount of time caused a smile that about split her face. This had to be the best news she had received in a long time. She restrained herself from giving him another hug. Instead, she leaned down and scratched the head of the dog who was staring up at her adoringly.</p><p> </p><p>They stayed at The Castle until well after dark. At some point in the evening, they had relocated to the lounge where Rose had fallen asleep, essentially leaving Rey alone with Ben. She didn’t mind one bit. Sitting next to him on the couch while they talked, laughed, and drank Maz’s famous hot chocolate all seemed like a dream.</p><p> </p><p>Rey couldn’t get over how Ben was looking at her. It was almost like he had never seen her before. There were moments, Rey thought that maybe he was flirting a bit, but she couldn’t tell. As soon as it would start, it would stop; but the way he looked at her never stopped. It was such a soft look that Rey found herself frequently blushing and looking down at her hands in her lap. If she was being honest with herself, she would admit that she had blushed just as much as she had smiled that evening.</p><p> </p><p>About thirty minutes before closing time, Rey decided that she should probably get home since she had school and work the next day. After waking up Rose, Rey quickly exchanged phone numbers with Ben so they could work out a time to get together again.</p><p> </p><p>Looking for any excuse to extend the evening, Ben and Kylo walked Rey and Rose to their car where they talked a little while longer while Rose dozed off in the front seat. They finally said goodbye somewhere around 11:30 PM.</p><p> </p><p>When they got home, Rey all but floated up to her room. She flitted happily from task to task as she got ready for bed. Rose was so tired, that she did not comment on the day. She just slunk off to bed.</p><p> </p><p>When Rey was finally comfy and settled in between the sheets, she heard her phone chime.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Ben: It was good to see you today. My schedule is clear this coming Sunday, if you want to get together again.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Rey hadn’t slept so well in a long time.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Little change to when I will be uploading new chapters. I had originally planned to do that on Sundays, but, as it has been for the last couple weeks, it will now officially be happening on Saturday evenings. I might also add an extra chapter on another day as well, but Saturday is the definite update day.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <strong>Ben: Good morning. I found a new pizza place. Want to try it?</strong>
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  <strong>Rey: You have a pizza addiction.</strong>
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  <strong>Ben: Probably. Don’t plan on getting any help though. There are much worse things I could be addicted to.</strong>
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  <strong>Rey: True… I am free all weekend. When and where?</strong>
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  <strong>Ben: Yes! 5:00 Saturday night. I will pick you up. Also, I have an idea I want to run past you. </strong>
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</p><p>Rey double checked the time to make sure she would be ready when Ben arrived. The past six months with Ben living nearby had been some of the best of her life. Granted, he wasn’t able to get off base much, but, when he could, he always made his way over to either her apartment or The Castle. He had made life fun.</p><p> </p><p>Eating pizza and watching a movie had quickly become one of their favorite things to do together. They wouldn’t just watch the movie though, they would pick it apart like they were professional critics. Their favorites to critique were always the Hallmark movies, and, with it coming up on Christmas, that meant that they would soon have the pleasure of laughing at a new batch of the absurdly predictable movies.</p><p> </p><p>“Going out with Ben again?” Rose probed with a knowing grin as she peered at Rey over the top of her computer. She had been suggesting since that first meeting at The Castle that maybe Ben had developed a little crush. Rey never bought into that thought even though she did wish that maybe it was true.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. There is a new pizzeria that we are trying. We will probably end up back here later.” Rey answered patiently, but two could play this game. “When is Finn coming out?”</p><p> </p><p>Rose and Finn had finally met. It was over a video chat but that was beside the point. They had hit it off. Their mutual love of classic movies had been the leading cause of Rose taking over the video chat with Finn. They now talked almost daily.</p><p> </p><p>Rose turned a deep shade of crimson at the mention of Finn. Finally! Rey had something to throw back at Rose when she started in on Ben’s supposed crush. A loud knock on the door interrupted whatever Rose’s comment was. They just looked at each other and laughed at their ridiculousness before Rey grabbed her purse and went to let Ben in.</p><p> </p><p>Ben looked just as intimidating as always. With his long black coat, black jeans, black shirt, and black shoes, it really appeared that he did not want to dissuade anyone from that thought. For obvious reasons. If anyone actually took the time to look him in the eye, they would see exactly what Rey saw at this moment, gentleness.</p><p> </p><p>“Ready to go?”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely!” Rey beamed up at him. Just as they were getting ready to leave, something caught Ben’s attention. Something Rey had done her absolute best to keep put away whenever he came by and had missed tonight.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that my old hoodie?” He asked with an amused quirk of his eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Look at the time! If we don’t go now, we will not be able to fuel your pizza addiction!” Rey chattered as she rushed a laughing Ben out of the apartment. When they reached the car, she admitted to having kept it this long and that it was probably her favorite thing.</p><p> </p><p>“You will have to fight me to get it back.” Rey defiantly pronounced.</p><p> </p><p>Ben held up his hands in the sign of surrender. “Oh no. It’s all yours. I have no desire to get into a fight with you. I will probably lose.” He smiled fondly at her as he shut her car door.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Brooklyn’s Pizzeria was bustling and smelled heavenly. There were obligatory pictures of New York City (most notably the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building) hanging all over the walls. The kitchen was open so that guests could watch the chefs make the pizza.</p><p> </p><p>As cute as the whole place was, though, Rey rolled her eyes at how unlike New York City it actually was. This place had a very rustic feel to it that would only occasionally be found in the pizza joints in the big city. It was very Takodana. The pizza itself, however, was another story! It was exactly like the pizza she had eaten at Roma’s in Brooklyn when she accompanied Leia to work once. She hummed in delight as she ate piece after piece of the delicious food.</p><p> </p><p>Her love of the pizza was not lost on Ben. “Who was giving who a hard time about a pizza addiction earlier?” He chuckled around a bite of his own pizza.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh hardy har har. In all seriousness, I have not had pizza this good since I came to California! This is great!”</p><p> </p><p>Ben hummed his agreement.</p><p> </p><p>While they ate for a little while longer in uncharacteristic silence, Rey thought back to something she had always been curious about. All those times that Ben was there for her when she had just been removed from Plutt’s care, it never added up to her. How <em>could</em> he possibly seem to understand her so well?</p><p> </p><p>“So, Ben, I have a question for you. If you don’t feel comfortable answering, that’s okay; but I have been curious for a while.”</p><p> </p><p>Ben put his food down and gave her his full attention. “Okay. Ask away.”</p><p> </p><p>“When your family took me in for that short time when I was thirteen, you treated me like you knew what I was dealing with. You didn’t shy away from whatever troubled me. Why? How were you able to be like that?”</p><p> </p><p>He sat there quietly looking down at his plate for a minute as he appeared to gather his thoughts. When he looked back up at her, his eyes told her that this was a difficult subject. “You really want to know? It’s a bit of a long story.” Rey nodded her head. “So let me preface this by saying that no matter how highly you think of my family, they are still humans, and, as such, they have problems. I will try to give you the short version as much as I can. You can ask for details later.” He took a deep breath before he began.</p><p> </p><p>“You know that my grandpa, Anakin, was a Marine. He fought in World War II. When he left, Nana Padma was pregnant with my mom and Luke. Just a few months before the war ended, she received word that he had been killed in action. The news hit her so hard that she went into labor and almost died giving birth. That situation is the reason that my family is actually cautious about the military. Luke nearly joined but opted out when he realized how it would affect Nana Padme. You don’t know how long my parents and I talked before I even met with a recruiter. It was even longer before I signed up.</p><p> </p><p>“But anyway, as I was growing up, Nana Padma rather frequently commented about how much like Papa Anakin I was. How I behaved like him. It scared them all. No one in my family wanted to receive another visit from men in uniform telling them what had happened to a loved one. Mom and Dad thought that maybe what they needed to do was distance me from the Skywalker influences in my life. So starting at age eight, nannies took over taking care of me. My parents started coming around a lot less.</p><p> </p><p>“I was hurt. Angry. I didn’t understand what had happened. I started acting out to get their attention. It got so bad in seventh grade that they finally did something. They sent me to a therapist. His name was Snoke. I went to him for almost a full year. No one is exactly sure what his endgame was, but he tried to twist me against my parents even more. He ended up hurting me more than others did.</p><p> </p><p>“I figured him out after about nine months. It took me another month and a half to tell my parents. When I finally did talk to them, we all realized what a mess we had made. They started really putting forth an effort to be a part of my life again. They put aside their fears and made some big changes. That office in the house was a guest bedroom at one point.” Rey gaped at him and was about to make a comment about the size of the house, but Ben just kept going.</p><p> </p><p>“I know. As if five bedrooms isn’t enough now I tell you that there were six at some point. Well that sixth bedroom became the office so Mom could work from home occasionally so she would have more time with me. Dad started looking into retirement. Apparently, he was getting too old for the job anyway.” Ben gave a dry chuckle at the memory of his dad comparing himself to the younger officers on the force. Something about not being as spry as he once was. “Somewhere in all that, Poe’s parents died, and mine adopted him.</p><p> </p><p>“So, yeah, I understood you. In a way, I knew what it felt like to be abandoned. I knew what abuse felt like. Snoke made sure of that. I wouldn’t back away from your pain when I knew that dealing with it alone would make the pain worse.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey reached across the table and grabbed Ben’s hand with one of hers while she used the other hand to wipe away the tears that had slowly begun to slide down her face. He had been opening up to her more and more of late, and she didn’t want to push for anymore answers even though she now had several things she wanted to know. He had just shared the most painful part of his life with her. She didn’t feel the need to ask him to open up more just then.</p><p> </p><p>Ben took in a deep breath, withdrew his hand from Rey’s grasp and quickly changed the subject. “How are classes going?”</p><p> </p><p>It was a rather jarring shift but Rey knew she had made the right choice to not press for further information right then. “They are going well. Busy. Kinda hate the psychology class that I am required to take. The professor leaves us all more confused than anything. How are things on base?”</p><p> </p><p>“Same old story. Practicing maneuvers. Staying in shape. Checking information we get sent. Guys getting bored so they decide to play practical jokes on everyone. Tai might be the only sane one on base.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad you two get along. Rose said he is the best brother-in-law she could ever possibly imagine having.”</p><p> </p><p>Ben smiled. He truly enjoyed being around Tai. He was the type person that could encourage a rock.</p><p> </p><p>Rey suddenly remembered Ben’s text. “Hey! You said you had something you wanted to discuss.”</p><p> </p><p>That really brought a smile out of him. Dimples included. He leaned forward conspiratorially. “I have a hair-brained scheme that I would like you to join me on.”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds mysteriously like you are about to ask me to help you rule the galaxy or something.”</p><p> </p><p>Ben busted out laughing. “No! Nothing that dramatic! But I will keep that idea in mind.” He paused and looked at her pointedly. “You know that I am a trust fund kid but I have never done anything that would really be considered trust-fund-kid behavior. I want you to join me in blowing a little cash.”</p><p> </p><p>It was no secret that his family was well off. Between the money that came from Padme’s wealthy family and the money they earned from Skywalker Industries, they may very well be among the wealthiest families in the country, but they never behaved like it. Ben especially didn’t. The closest he ever came to just blowing big money was that really nice telescope he bought when he was seventeen. Poe had called it Ben’s Big Trust Fund Kid Moment even though his bank account didn’t even feel it. Ben wanting to spend money meant this was something that really interested him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m intrigued. Please go on.”</p><p> </p><p>“We are currently living in California. Rather close to one of the most famous theme parks in the world.”</p><p> </p><p>He paused giving Rey a moment to realize what he was saying. It didn’t take her long either. She started bouncing in her seat with excitement. “Ben! Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?! Do you want to go to Disneyland?”</p><p> </p><p>He rewarded her with a full, toothy grin. “Yep. I have always wanted to go and here I am in the same state with it. Definitely don’t want to go alone though. I would like you to go with me. I will pay for everything. It would just be for a day. We can fly down in the morning, stay in the park until late, and then fly back. So we would have to plan this carefully because of our schedules but… what do you think?”</p><p> </p><p>He actually looked like a little kid with how excited he was. Rey absolutely wanted to go, but her pride was what always got in the way. She didn’t want Ben spending so much on his own even though he could. She also still wasn’t good at letting people do things for her and, thankfully, he knew it. So Rey tried a little compromise knowing there was a good chance he would go with it.</p><p> </p><p>“I will accept on two conditions. One – You let me pay for food. I wouldn’t feel right letting you pay for everything. And two – you have to get a hat. Not just any old baseball cap. No. Needs to be a character hat. Maybe with mouse ears!”</p><p> </p><p>Ben studied her carefully while he thought through her conditions. Never one to back down from a challenge, even one in the embarrassing shape of mouse ears, he held his hand out to her. “Agreed.”</p><p> </p><p>They grinned and laughed like children as they shook hands. The rest of the evening was spent planning this impromptu mini vacation. They ended up at Rey’s apartment using her computer to purchase tickets while Rose eyed them knowingly, wondering when they would see what everyone else saw.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, we have Ben's background story. I always hated that it was made to look like Han and Leia just ditched him with Luke and ignored their responsibility to him as his parents. For that reason, I just had to correct that issue.</p><p>We will also be getting a very bright spot in this story in the next chapter... which will be uploaded tomorrow!</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is nothing but feel good fluff! Next chapter will be up on Saturday. Enjoy! Comments are always welcome!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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<p>The alarm clock had gone off much earlier than Rey had expected the morning they had planned to go to Disneyland. She was so excited though, that she didn’t even mind the early hour. That just meant that she would be napping for some of the trip to Anaheim. When Ben arrived to pick her up, she noticed that he seemed to not be phased by it at all. Must be something to do with his training.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they arrived at the airport, Rey happily smiled at the fact that she would not be involved in another tearful goodbye with Ben at an airport. This time she was boarding the plane with him. No one was being left behind. If that had been the only thing to happen that day, it would have been perfect, but they still had a whole day together. That knowledge left Rey comfortable and at peace throughout the flight and the process of picking up the rental car which she promptly fell asleep in.</p>
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<p>“Rey. We will be going through the gate soon.” Ben nudged her arm to wake her up just as they were entering Disney property.</p>
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<p>How ever he managed to get such a nice rental car, she will never know, but the seats were almost more comfortable than her bed. Rey stretched as much as she could in the small space. Once she realized what Ben had told her, she leaned forward excitedly, pulled out her phone, and turned the camera on. She was going to capture as many moments as she could that day, especially since Ben’s commanding officer had been hinting at a possible deployment in the near future. Rey shook her head. She would not allow that thought in to ruin the day.</p>
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<p>A short time later, they saw the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Rey was practically bouncing in her seat from excitement. Even Ben was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in anticipation. When Rey looked over to gage the exact level of his excitement, she truly believed that her insides turned to mush at the sight of this large Marine looking every inch a child in his joy.</p>
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<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After they had parked and boarded a tram to ride to the gate, Rey and Ben found themselves caught in a large crowd of people as they slowly inched their way toward the entrance. Unfortunately, because they had to bring a small bag with them, they had no choice but to go through the bag check line which lengthened their time in the extra crowded areas. After that was another line to scan their tickets and actually get in the park. Ben was over the crowd already, but Rey kept reminding him that it would be worth it once they got past the gate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Pretty sure the guy that keeps bumping into me hasn’t had a shower in days.” Ben leaned down and growled in her ear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey giggled as she grabbed his sleeve and dragged him toward Main Street. The first view of the castle actually brought tears to her eyes. It was all so magical! She was glad they had decided to come in the middle of November. The Christmas décor added to the magic. They quickly located a map and began navigating the park.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their first stop was It’s a Small World. They were initially excited while waiting in line to get in the boat, but that excitement was quickly dimmed when their boat stopped in one of the rooms. After being stuck there for about five minutes, they checked that ride off of any favorites list and agreed that one time through would last them an entire lifetime. By the time their boat got back around to the spot where they would unload, they were tripping over each other as they tried to get off the ride quickly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t care if it is a classic. That song is annoying!” Ben heartily agreed with Rey’s assessment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They spent the morning in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland riding everything they could. Quickly reaching the top of their favorites list was Space Mountain and the Tea Cups.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come on, Ben! It’s a classic! A must ride!” Rey begged him as she tried to pull him toward a ride that had easily caught her attention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nope. Not doing it. You can’t make me. I will do a lot, but I draw the line there, sweetheart.” He stopped to think for a moment and then added, “Oh and princesses. Not feeling like meeting them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s the matter? Scared?” She asked in an innocent voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben just stared at her until Rey decided to try a new tactic. She reached up, wrapped her hands around his bicep, and gave him her best impression of puppy dog eyes. Apparently Kylo was a good teacher because after a short, silent war was waged, Ben surrendered with a sigh and a “lead the way.” Rey ecstatically pulled him toward the carousel. She couldn’t help but laugh as she watched him try to arrange his large frame on the ornate horse in a way that would be comfortable. She let him pick the next ride.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>About midmorning, Rey found a shop that sold ears and hats. She wasted no time reminding Ben of his agreement. He took it very seriously and bought a Goofy hat while Rey bought a classic pair of Minnie ears.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a quick lunch, they made their way around to the rest of the park. Because the crowds had gotten so heavy, they weren’t able to ride as much in the afternoon so they started picking and choosing. There were a few rides that they deemed were a must. By the time they were settled into their seats to see Fantasmic, they fully agreed that their favorite ride was the Haunted Mansion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ben. I think I found my favorite picture of day!” She showed him a picture that a cast member had taken of them in front of the castle. They were wrapped in each other’s arms and giving the camera joyous smiles.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That is a good one though I must admit that my favorite is the one of you screaming your head off on Splash Mountain.” Ben gave her an innocent smile. She shoved his shoulder good naturedly as she smiled back at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“In my defense, there was no seat belt! It freaked me out a little.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So clinging to my arm was the better option?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What about your face on Space Mountain? What’s your excuse?” Rey quipped right back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They both laughed for a few more minutes over the faces they made while on some of the rides.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh! I got you something. I know it is your favorite movie so…” He passed her the bag he had been carrying around since shortly after lunch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ben… you didn’t have to…” Rey’s sentence came to an abrupt end as pulled out a medium sized Simba plush. It was a rather cheesy thing to get her but Rey did not care. She looked up at him and grinned widely. “Thank you! You are just too sweet.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before attempting to get comfortable in her seat and hugging her new plush close. A moment later, she felt warmth across her upper back as Ben draped his arm around her and pulled her close. They sat that way throughout the show.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The drive back to the airport and the flight home were spent in companionable silence. Both were tired but content. When Ben pulled up to her apartment, she was loath to say goodbye. The day had been long, but it had been magical. But he had to get back to the base. After a quick hug goodbye at her door, he went back to his car, and Rey went into her apartment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She quickly showered and got ready for bed. It was nearly 2:00 AM before she was able to finally lay down. She was thankful that she did not have to go to work or school tomorrow (really today) because she knew exactly what she wanted to do after she slept in. She wanted to print her favorite picture from the day and get a frame for it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been two weeks since Rey and Ben had gone to Disneyland and she kept thinking about her impulsive decision to kiss Ben. Granted, it had just been a quick kiss to the cheek, but still! What if she had overstepped? It didn’t seem like she had. She had been hoping that maybe it would cause some sort of change in their relationship. All these months together and their relationship had remained nothing more than friends. Rey thought that maybe she wanted something more. She thought that a relationship with Ben would go far. But she also knew how Ben felt about bringing someone into his world of the Marine Corp. What had happened to his grandfather made him nervous.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Three months ago</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Rey and Ben had been working around her and Rose’s apartment for hours. There were a few minor things that the girls had wanted to do and Rey had asked for his help. She didn’t really need his help, but oh how she enjoyed having it! He knew she could do things on her own, and never once made her feel like she couldn’t because she was female. He just followed instructions and helped her figure it out when things didn’t go the way she thought they would.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Rey, where are we putting this shelf?” Ben asked as he came around the corner into her room to find her sitting in the middle of the floor with tears dripping down her face as she looked at a picture that she had found from prom.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“You know, I never really enjoyed going to prom. The pageantry and frills and sparkles… I never liked them. I only went my senior year because my boyfriend at the time asked. I thought it might be better that time because I had a boyfriend. It wasn’t. He deliberately caused a malfunction with my dress and laughed at my humiliation. Thankfully, Rose was right there to help me.” Rey wiped the tears from her eyes as she remembered the humiliating moment. She gave a self-deprecating smile. “I won’t wear a strapless dress now because of that. Silly, I know. Not everyone is like him.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Ben had sat down next to her during her story and pulled her into a tight hug. “Not silly. That guy was a moron. Probably best not to tell me any more or I might find him and give him a piece of my mind.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Rey giggled at Ben. He apparently didn’t know how to turn off being a protector.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>She sniffled deeply one last time before she turned to him. “How about you? Any girlfriends give you some traumatizing memories?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Nah. Because of what happened to my grandpa, I don’t really know how I feel about asking someone to run the risk of being in a relationship with a soldier.” He gave a resigned sigh. “I would have to be sure of her feelings and my own before I asked that of her. Definitely would make sure she knew what she was getting into before she got into it. No time or patience for casual dating either.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I understand.” Rey replied thoughtfully as she pulled out the picture she had been looking for and then began putting things away again. “So the shelf, I was thinking of putting it over the couch.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Rey did her best to pull herself out of her thoughts about Ben. He was supposed to be coming over for dinner and a movie. She had finally talked him into eating something other than pizza. They were planning to make chicken noodle soup using Maz’s recipe. The movie for the night was Indiana Jones. Rey had been telling Ben for the longest time that the main character and his dad looked like they could be twins.</p><p> </p><p>A soft knock brought her hurrying to the front door. When she saw Ben, she immediately knew something was up. He looked worried. He startled her when he pulled her into a tight, lingering hug after he closed the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Ben? What’s the matter?” She asked as she sank deeper into his embrace trying to reassure him. He wasn’t one to worry, so it must be a pretty big deal.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t answer right away. He just grabbed her hand and pulled her into the living room. She absently noticed that Kylo was trailing behind them. Ben gently pushed her down onto the couch as he sat on the edge of the table right across from her never letting go of her hand.</p><p> </p><p>Ben took a deep breath before he turned serious eyes on her. “We were informed today that our unit will be deployed in January. I…” He paused clearly struggling through how to tell her something. “I want to list you with my parents as people who should be contacted should something happen to me.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey was shocked. This was not how she saw this night going at all. His commander had been hinting at this for a while, but Rey thought it might be another year. She wasn’t ready to be away from him again so soon. She held his hand a little tighter.</p><p> </p><p>“I wish I knew what to say, Ben. I don’t. But why list me?”</p><p> </p><p>“I want you to be informed should something happen. You are the person I would consider myself closest to outside my parents. They can pass any news on to anyone else.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay.”</p><p> </p><p>They really weren’t sure what else to say as they sat in silence for a little while only letting go of each other’s hands when they went to the kitchen to start cooking dinner. They just got to work all the while staying as close as possible to each other. They ate in silence. When they settled down on the couch to watch the movie, Rey didn’t think, she just scooted right up next to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you hear about Poe?” She felt Ben’s voice rumble through his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“No. What happened to him?”</p><p> </p><p>“He has been bitten by the love bug. Her name is Zorii. She is good at putting up with his shenanigans.” Ben was doing his best to try to lighten the mood. It was one of the things she appreciated about him.</p><p> </p><p>“She must really be something.” Rey replied with a smile as she looked up at Ben.</p><p> </p><p>When their eyes met, it was like gravity was pushing them toward each other. His eyes were so happy and relaxed. Rey just wanted to be closer. Unfortunately, Rose’s return home broke the moment. Rey sighed and snuggled back down into his side.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>Christmas and New Year’s came and went far too quickly in Rey’s opinion. Her time with Ben was running short. He had been keeping a careful physical distance between them since the night that he told her about his deployment. They did not sit as closely as they used to or hug as often. Rey could tell that he was scared, though he would never admit it. He had told her that the area he was going to was a little volatile.</p><p> </p><p>The day that he was scheduled to leave dawned bright and cold. Rey trudged through her morning routine. She was going to the base to see him off. This was not something she looked forward to. Her morning was spent in a haze and many stray tears.</p><p> </p><p>Rose and Paige had insisted on driving her to the base. They were going to visit Tai while they were there. Paige would see him that night, but she insisted that there was something different about seeing him on base and in his uniform.</p><p> </p><p>When Rey arrived, it took her what felt like forever to find Ben. When she finally did, she threw out all care that he was trying to keep some distance. She immediately wrapped him in a hug which he enthusiastically returned. In his arms was her favorite place to be and it would be another year before that happened again.</p><p> </p><p>Despite all promises she made to herself about not crying anymore that day, she ended up crying again. This time right in front of Ben. When she finally pulled back and got a good look at his face, she discovered she was not alone in her emotional outburst. His eyes were glassy and his cheeks were wet too. They lightly laughed at each before Ben tucked her back into his arms and rested his head on top of hers.</p><p> </p><p>They stayed that way as long as they could. Rey didn’t want to say goodbye again. She was getting tired of saying goodbye to Ben. She wanted to drag him off the base, lock him in her apartment, and never let him leave again; but she knew that would not be well received.</p><p> </p><p>When he was called to load up, it was all Rey could do to let him go. She chocked on another sob as he stepped away. He immediately came right back.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s just a year. I fully intend to come back.” He gave her another tight hug and then he surprised her. He cradled her face in his hands and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before quickly letting her go, gathering his things, and hurrying to the bus.</p><p> </p><p>Rey stayed glued to the spot until she could no longer see his bus. She would forever be grateful that Rose and Paige arrived at that moment to guide her back to the car and take her home. If they hadn’t, she may very well have tried to stay there and wait for him to return.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok. So the last chapter wasn't completely pointless fluff. They needed a happy moment before this. Like Ben said, however, he will be back. I tried to make this separation as short as the story would allow. Next update will be either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on when my schedule will let me. If it doesn't, then definitely next Saturday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is not going to go the way you think. Or maybe it will. Either way, I do want to give a TW here. There are some very emotional things dealt with in this chapter. If you are now concerned, scroll to the bottom and look at the moodboard before you begin.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last eight months of separation had made Rey realize just how big a role in her life Ben had taken up. He had become her best friend, confidant, and partner in whatever she had going on. From hanging pictures on the wall of her and Rose’s apartment to going to Disneyland, he was there working with her. He never made her feel like he she couldn’t do whatever needed to be done. He was there because he knew she could get stuff done, and he wanted to be a part of it. They really did make a great team.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, it felt like his deployment had put everything on hold for a full year. It was a year of torture for Rey. The first few weeks after he left, she caught herself picking up her phone to call him whenever something happened, and she wanted help. With him gone though, she more often than not ended up working with men who had infuriating egos that would get bruised as soon as she fixed the issue they made as well as the original problem. It took her almost a month to get past trying to call him.</p><p> </p><p>Simple things like watching movies and eating at some hole-in-the-wall pizza joint turned into an event that would leave Rey slightly teary eyed. It was in one of those restaurants that Rey finally admitted to herself that she had moved past crush at some point. She had looked around the place, thought about the past year with Ben, and realized that she was head over heels in love with him. She was so shocked that she kept it to herself for a while.</p><p> </p><p>“Would it be fair to tell him now when he is thousands of miles away and we can’t even communicate often? What if I scared him off? This could make things so difficult.” She reasoned with herself. “Besides, I don’t know for sure that he feels the same way.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey would have this argument with herself every night. She would lay there wishing that somehow, some way, Ben would feel the same. She would let herself dream of a day when he would come home. He would step off the bus, sweep her up in a hug, tell her that he loves her, and then he would really kiss her. But Rey kept talking herself out of telling him how she felt. She was scared that he didn’t feel the same way. Instead, she let herself dream every night.</p><p> </p><p>All that changed after a particularly defining phone call. Rey had been talking his ear off about class. Her courses were becoming more geared toward her actual degree. She had been telling him all about how excited she was to finally feel like she was moving toward becoming a teacher. He had listened so intently. His attention to every word she said made her feel like she was so important to him. So… loved?</p><p> </p><p>That was the moment that it hit her. Maz had always told her that a man who pays close attention to what a woman says, a man who wants to spend all his time with a certain woman, a man who respects a woman – these are just a few signs of a man who feels something a little stronger than just a friendly like. Rey also remembered the looks that Ben had given her. He never looked at anyone else like that.</p><p> </p><p>Honestly, there was nothing incredible about the phone call itself. They didn’t talk about anything special. It was just the way he treated her that made Rey realize that he might just like her more than as a friend. It gave her the courage to tell him. She decided that if she had the opportunity to have a video chat with him, that was when she would tell him. To his face.</p><p> </p><p>About a week after she finally decided to tell him, she got that opportunity. He had contacted her to let her know that he would be able to video chat with her on the following Sunday at what would be 7:00 PM her time. He also said that he had something important he wanted to talk to her about.</p><p> </p><p>So here she was the day before the planned video chat nervously skittering about her apartment. She was definitely excited, but that was not going to keep her still. She was a nervous wreck. If only they could talk more often. But Rey understood that he was not always in an area where he could make a phone call let alone a video call.</p><p> </p><p>Her nervous energy had turned into a morning long cleaning session of the apartment followed by copious amounts of baking. If only she had work today. Or class. But no! It has to be Saturday and her day off.</p><p> </p><p>Rose and Paige had been watching her all morning with growing amusement. Paige had come over for the week while Tai was on base so that she could spend time with Rose. Truth be told, she really just wanted to get in on the video chats with Finn so she could vet him out.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey. Stop it! The apartment has never been this clean, and, if you keep cooking, I am going to get fat!” Rose good naturedly whined to her roommate.</p><p> </p><p>Rey looked up from the stove that she had been scrubbing for the last ten minutes and gave her friend a nervous chuckle. “I know, Rose. I just really need tomorrow to get here quickly! I am ready to have this conversation with Ben.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sweetie, we know you are, but must you take out your nerves on the poor dust specks and our waist lines?” Paige asked.</p><p> </p><p>Rey laughed a little but went right back to work. Rose and Paige rolled their eyes and smiled at their friend. They were both happy for her. Saying “I told you so” was not something either were about to do. True, they had known for a while that both Rey and Ben were head over heels for each other, but they were never going to rub that information in their faces now that they were both getting a clue.</p><p> </p><p>Rose stood up from the couch and walked back toward her room. She paused on her way there when something outside caught her attention.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Paige. Were you expecting Tai?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Rose. He is on base for another few days. Why do you ask?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because he is here, and it looks like he has a friend with him….” Rose spoke slowly as she trailed off and looked back at her sister with dawning horror on her face. “Paige. They are in uniform. Dress blues.”</p><p> </p><p>Paige ran to the window and looked out to see her husband walking with heavy feet and slumped shoulders toward the apartment. When he looked up and she got a look at his face, she just knew.</p><p> </p><p>“Rose….” Paige started to tell Rose to do something but was interrupted by a knock on the front door.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll get it!” Rey called cheerfully from the front of the apartment.</p><p> </p><p>Rose and Paige shared a panicked look before they rushed to entry where Rey was already reaching for the doorknob.</p><p> </p><p>When she opened the door, she was greeted by the faces of two very somber Marines in their dress uniforms. Tai looked like he had experienced the worst possible day of his life. The other man, though not someone they knew, had the same look. Rey’s expression had turned wary.</p><p> </p><p>“May we come in?” Tai asked in a strained voice.</p><p> </p><p>Rey stood there and stared at them. Suddenly, she felt Paige grab her by the shoulders and guide her into the living room and into a seat while Rose invited the men in and shut the door. Both girls sat on either side of Rey. Rey was slowly starting to snap out of the fog bank she fell into when she saw the two Marines standing outside her door. <em>Please don’t let this actually be happening!</em> She pleaded in her mind as a tear slipped down her cheek when Tai aimed grief-stricken eyes at her.</p><p> </p><p>He began introducing himself and the other Marine with him. He gave their names with their rank. The formality of it caused Rey’s breathing to take a jagged edge. She barely understood him as he asked for her to confirm her name, but she somehow managed to get her answer out around her thickening throat as she fought for control over the tears that were beginning to come.</p><p> </p><p>Tai looked to his companion and then back to Rey. He gave a deep and pained sigh before he began. “The commandant of the Marine Corps has entrusted me to express his deep regret that your friend, First Sergeant Ben Solo, has gone missing following action this morning at 0900 hours. The commandant extends…”</p><p> </p><p>The rest of his words were drowned out as Rey’s sobs took over. She barely remembers Tai giving her the rest of the information. He tried to assure her that there was still a chance that Ben was alive. They had not found any evidence to prove he was alive, but they also hadn’t found any evidence to prove he was dead. The last thing he told her before leaving her in the care of the Tico sisters was that if anything was learned for sure, he would make certain she was told.</p><p> </p><p>Rey doesn’t remember much about the rest of the day. She spent most of it lying in bed, clutching to her chest the Simba plush Ben had bought for her, looking at their picture on her nightstand, and sobbing. Rose and Paige tried to get her to eat but she just didn’t feel like it. She felt like her dream come true had turned out to be a nightmare. The worst one she had ever experienced, and there would be no Ben there to hold her and protect her this time.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ouch... that hurt to write. But it was necessary for what I am trying to do in this story. The end of episode 9 was quite painful (still tear up every time Ben dies), so I wanted to write a fix-it, but I hate everything I write in universe. This was the result. So hang with me. It will get better... eventually.</p><p>I did a lot of research to make sure I got this chapter right, but I probably still messed something up. Next update is on Saturday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I would like to say that no characters were killed in the making of this fic. They are just MIA for a while (a few chapters).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Weeks had passed since that awful day when Rey had been informed of Ben going missing. There was still no further word from the Marine Corp. Rose and Maz were becoming increasingly concerned about Rey as she drew further into herself.</p><p> </p><p>Every night, around 7:00 PM, Rose would find Rey sitting at the desk with the video chat pulled up waiting for a call that wasn’t coming. She was convinced that she had dreamed it all up. A fevered nightmare of the worst-case scenario. He would call. She just knew he would. He had never broken a promise to her. He had never lied to her.</p><p> </p><p>But the call never came. With every night that took her further from the intended video chat date, Rey became more despondent. Her eating habits slowly slipped. Some days, she would eat like normal. Other days, Rose counted it a win to get her to eat a snack. Even her shower habits had changed. Rey had once been good at taking quick showers. Now, they could last a while.</p><p> </p><p>A little over a month later, word started coming in about what had happened to Ben’s unit. It wasn’t much information, but it was more than enough. Not much was known about the terrorist cell that had attacked them. The one thing that was known for certain was that they did not take prisoners. That news sent Rey over the edge again.</p><p> </p><p>Rose and Maz decided that they should act. Rey was hurting beyond belief. They did not know if it were actually possible to die of a broken heart, but they were sure that if they did not do something soon to help her, they would find out. They asked Rey to meet them at the Castle one Saturday evening in October almost two months after Ben disappeared.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey, I am transferring to Chandrilla University in New York. They have a wonderful engineering program there. It is better than the one here at Takodana Community. I will be moving out there in January. I want you to consider maybe coming with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Rose had carefully planned out how she would approach the topic with Rey. She was fairly confident that getting away from all the reminders of Ben and starting over close to Finn and the Solo family would help. True, that could still bring up memories, but at least she would be near people who could help her. People who would understand the pain. Unfortunately, there would be no easy way to get Rey to consider leaving the place that had become her home.</p><p> </p><p>Rey gave Rose a hollow look as she considered the proposition. It would be nice to see Han, Leia, Finn, and Poe again. She hadn’t met Poe’s fiancé Zorii yet. This would be a good opportunity. As much as Rey wanted to be excited at the idea of seeing her first family again, she just couldn’t find the energy.</p><p> </p><p>“Think about it, Rey. I talked to Leia and she said that she can help you get the paperwork done to transfer to Chandrilla with me and start the second semester of your sophomore year at the same time I do. You will still be on track to graduate on time. I found an apartment complex with Finn’s help. Take your time. Think about it.”</p><p> </p><p>Maz put her arm around Rey’s shoulders as they sat in the lounge at the Castle. “Dear child. I know you wish to stay here. There are so many wonderful memories wrapped up in this place, but you need to go somewhere that you can heal. I will be here for you to come back and visit. The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is still ahead. Consider what Rose is offering.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Rey thought through her options for two weeks.</p><p> </p><p>If she stayed here in Takodana, she would have her mom, the Castle, and a college she wasn’t overly thrilled with. Despite her desire to stay with her mother, Rey knew that if she stayed in this place where she saw Ben everywhere, she would never be able to move forward with her life. She would remain stuck in an endless “what if.”</p><p> </p><p>If she went to New York, she would have a few memories of Ben anytime she was near his family, but she would effectively be able to start over. The few things that would be familiar would help her adjust quicker.</p><p> </p><p>As hard as the decision was to make, Rey knew she made the right one as she started paperwork to transfer to Chandrilla University and to co-rent an apartment with Rose. Both the college and the apartment were about twenty minutes away from any member of the Solo family.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, they did not have to purchase any plane tickets. Poe volunteered to fly them out. At least two good things would happen right away because of this: Rose would meet Finn in person and they would both finally get to fly with Poe.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>Finn had met the girls and Poe at the airport and had driven them to their new apartment. Leia and Han were waiting there with Chinese take-out and warm hugs.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome home, Rey.” Leia said as she pulled Rey into a fierce hug. Rey just stood there and allowed Leia to hold her. Neither spoke or made any move to let go. They didn’t even cry. It was just understood that they both were hurting and needed this.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey, Leia and I have a proposition for you.” Han interrupted their quiet time.</p><p> </p><p>Rey suddenly felt something warm and wet touch her hand. She looked down into the mournful eyes of a dog who clearly knew that his master wasn’t coming home. Kylo softly whined as he nudged Rey’s hand with his nose.</p><p> </p><p>“We want you to keep Kylo. Outside Ben, you were his favorite person. He knows you and is comfortable with you. We already checked with the apartment complex. He is good to stay. Because of who his owner was… and what happened… they have agreed to let you keep him here for no extra charge.” Han struggled to get through what he had to say. He was choking back tears the entire time.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you can. Rey, Ben would have wanted this.” Leia gently soothed Rey’s concerns about keeping Kylo. “If you will accept, we already have all you would need in the car.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey sat down on the new couch that Han and Leia had given them and hugged Kylo close. She looked down into his eyes and knew that she didn’t have it in her to let him go. The sadness in his eyes matched the ache in her own heart.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, boy. You can stay.” For the first time in months, Rey smiled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was hard to write. If it wasn't for the fact that this chapter was needed for plot purposes, I don't know that I would have written it. Grief can hit anyone no matter how strong they are. That was definitely my biggest squabble with episode 9. Rey almost acted like nothing happened after Ben died. Anyway, because this chapter was short and painful, the next chapter will be up tomorrow sometime.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Couple notes at the beginning. I am a car lover and it will come out in this chapter. The four cars mentioned specifically are in pictures at the end of this chapter. Also, this whole fic is built around one chapter that will be up this Saturday so everything that happens in the next two chapters will be a build up to that. Things are about to get sticky!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Two years later</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey! Rey! What do you think of this beauty?!” Poe asked excitedly as he walked around a red 1967 Ford Mustang.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey had been so busy admiring a beautiful black 1972 Lamborghini Miura that she did not notice the Mustang until Poe pointed it out. It was beautiful, but she preferred the Lamborghini. Ben had been gone for a little over two years, and thinking of things he would have loved had become like a natural reflex for her. He definitely would have loved this car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah. It’s pretty, Poe. What about that old Ford Pinto over there? How do you suppose they got it here? Tow truck?” Rey laughed as she pointed out the car model that had such a notorious reputation. Laughter still felt somewhat hollow to her, but she was getting better. At least the pain wasn’t as sharp anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Poe made a pained hissing noise. “I feel like I should offer the owner my condolences on having such a sorry excuse for a vehicle.” He gave the old car a withering once over before walking back to where Zorii was standing with Rose and Finn.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey watched her friends with open longing. She had lost her opportunity to have what they all enjoyed on a daily basis. Poe and Zorii had married just five months after Ben had disappeared. They had dated for a short time in high school before she had dumped him because he was immature. When they bumped back into each other at an air show over two years ago, things had heated up in a hurry. They were now happily married and chartered private air planes together. They made a perfect team on land and in the air.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finn and Rose had easily moved their relationship from virtual to reality. About a month after they had arrived in New York, Rose and Finn had officially started dating. They were still technically dating but with the understanding that he would be proposing in the near future. Finn was just getting settled into life as an EMT, and he wanted to wait just a little longer before he asked Rose to be a permanent part of his life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey considered her saving grace this day to be all the antique cars sitting around her. She had openly admitted to Rose that she struggled to not be jealous of those in a relationship, and she really was working on that, but somedays are harder than others. Like right now. The jealousy was all but eating at Rey while she stood there watching her friends. So she chose to focus on the cars.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey continued to wander through the car show admiring the beautiful and well-kept cars that were all around her. As she rounded a particularly nice Challenger, she noticed a tall red-haired man watching her curiously. He was not what she would call handsome. He was too pretty to fit that category. His skin reminded her of porcelain, and his eyes appeared to be green. Adding to his pretty boy look was the perfectly tailored sports jacket he was wearing along with dark wash jeans and a black shirt. He looked every inch like a pampered prince.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She only looked his way for a quick moment, but it was long enough that it gave him the needed motivation to swagger her way. Rey quickly looked away hoping that he would take it as a sign to leave her alone. When a long shadow fell across her, she knew she was wrong.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good afternoon, ma’am. I see you have good taste in vehicles. That 1972 Ferrari is a beauty.” His voice was had a slightly higher pitch to it than she was used to, but it was smooth as butter. The fact that he knew she had been admiring the Ferrari meant that he had been watching her for a while. She hadn’t been near that car for at least an hour.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey turned around to properly greet him. “It is quite a beautiful car though I think I prefer the looks of the Lamborghini.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pretty stranger gave her an appreciative smile. “Of course. That is a lovely piece of machinery as well.” He spoke in a charming way as he extended his hand to her. “My name is Armitage Hux, but you may call me Hux.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey was starting to think that his clothes and looks were not the only things about this man that were pretty. His manners and way of speaking were too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m Rey Kanata.” She cautiously shook his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you here alone, Miss Kanata?” He asked in what appeared to be a genuinely concerned tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No. I am not. I am here with friends that I would consider to be my brothers.” Rey made sure to make it known that she was not alone and that the people she was with were male. For whatever reason, that scared people the most even though she could do more damage to another person than either Finn or Poe could. Ben made sure she could protect herself. She had some self-defense knowledge before, but he had expanded it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How wonderful to have such close friends to spend your time with. Will you be going back to them soon, or may I walk with you for a little while?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He seemed so sincere that Rey couldn’t say no. She couldn’t see any reason not to trust him. He had been nothing but a gentleman. She found that she enjoyed his company as she walked through the rest of the car show with him. He knew his cars well. From the outside anyway. Turns out his knowledge of engines was lacking a little. Ok. It was lacking a lot.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey didn’t see her group again for most of the day. She had sent them a message explaining that she had met someone and wanted to take a little time to get to know him. They had enthusiastically supported her and kept a respectful distance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux, on the other hand, was right by her side all afternoon. They spent plenty of time talking about everything car related. Meaning, Rey taught him about the engines and he supplied the values of each vehicle. He had an unreal knowledge of the financial aspect of these cars. By the end of the day, Rey had spent most of her time with Hux. When she met up with her group, she had Hux’s phone number and a date. She was not sure how she actually felt about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He was really sweet, and nothing but a gentleman, Rose. Easy on the eyes too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose had immediately sat Rey down and begged for details when they got back home. She had caught glimpses of Hux and Rey throughout the afternoon and wanted to have a run-down of all that had happened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So what do you think of him? Do you think this is someone you want to get to know?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey sighed as she scratched Kylo’s head. He had really helped her move forward after the news about Ben, and he was again helping her with an emotional moment. She had been asking herself the same question Rose had just asked since she met Hux.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Honestly, I don’t know Rose. I don’t know if my heart will ever be free enough.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose sat down right next to Rey and pulled her into a sympathetic hug. “I know, honey. You and Ben had a special connection. That doesn’t come around very often. But you and I both know that he would not want you to just stay alone the rest of your life. Give this guy a chance. Maybe something good will come of it. We are all here for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey pulled her dear friend close as she silently cried for what she had lost. She couldn’t accept what others had accepted. She was so sure that Ben was alive. No one was saying aloud that he was dead, but they were beginning to behave like it. Perhaps, though, she could try moving forward a little more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their first date went about as well as Rey could have hoped for. They talked pretty much the whole time, but she never truly felt like her heart was in it. They had gone to a nice Italian restaurant. She learned quickly that Hux had very refined tastes. Or maybe his tastes were better called expensive. He ordered the most expensive of everything on the menu claiming that they tasted better. Rey had mentally snorted at that claim. At those prices, everything should taste like it was made by angels.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey also very quickly discovered why he came across as some pampered prince. It was because he basically was one. He had grown up with money and was currently being trained to take over as the CEO of First Order Financial Group. Rey knew the name because Leia had mentioned them. It was a very lucrative banking group based out of New York City; which meant that Hux not only was born into money, he was also raking it in on his own. And he proved it by how willing he was to spend it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Regardless of how uncomfortable spending so much money made her, Rey decided that she didn’t mind being around Hux. He was sweet. So they continued going on date after date. After about a month of this, they made their relationship official, and she met his parents.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brendol and Maratelle Hux were unique individuals. They both seemed to have their noses permanently stuck high in the air. They had money and it was obvious. Where Hux had spent his money quickly, his parents were three times as fast to spend it. They showed no signs of being concerned about racking up a high credit card debt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brendol was a very proud man. Every time Rey saw him, he was wearing an expensive suit. His idea of relaxing included reading a newspaper and telling anyone within earshot how poorly the reporter had done writing his piece, but Brendol himself couldn’t string together two words in a written sentence and make them make sense. All his food was from the best stores in town or fresh from a local farm. He would pay top dollar for whatever to ensure that he got the best too. And when he did not get his way, it was like watching a fifty year old man turn into a toddler throwing a tantrum. Rey frequently felt the urge to either send him to the principal or to send him to bed with no supper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maratelle was a little more pulled together than her husband. Like him though, she was always dressed in her absolute best. She was never without her pearls. Her tastes in food were just as expensive as her husband and son’s were. She was, however, the most snooty person Rey had ever had the misfortune of meeting. Rey had made the mistake of wearing her favorite jeans and t-shirt combo in front of Maratelle once. Once. Never again. She didn’t know that it was possible to give someone’s shirt such a scathing look, but Maratelle managed it very well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux seemed to be very different from his parents. In one regard, he was exactly like them though: his willingness to drop cash in large amounts in a short amount of time. Their first date had shown Rey that, but he had escalated since then. Their most recent date had cost so much that Rey came close to losing her lunch when she accidentally saw the price tag attached.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After dating for about three months though, Hux started making suggestions about some of the things Rey did or wore. It started small – with her shoes. They were well worn sandals. As a teacher (especially in her first year), Rey didn’t have the money or the time to go out shopping, but Hux didn’t seem to notice that as he dropped a few hints about her shoes after she wore them around him for the first time in late March.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They just don’t look like they are all that comfortable, darling. Surely your feet are killing you by end of the day.” He told her sweetly one Saturday afternoon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had gotten together to go for a walk around the park. Rey had needed to stay close to the apartment that day so that she would have plenty of time to grade reports and take care of Kylo. She had not been around much lately and could tell that the poor pup needed some of her time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They really aren’t too bad, Hux. They work just fine for now. I don’t really have time or money to go shopping for new shoes right now.” Rey replied in her least argumentative voice. She was getting tired of this topic. It was like he wasn’t listening very well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day, however, began a long line of gifts from Hux that Rey didn’t think were all that necessary. He had sent his PA Mitaka to pick her up. When she got in the car, there sat a shoe box with an expensive pair of sandals. They fit, but she didn’t care too much for the style. To make Hux happy though, she put on the sandals and sucked it up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the next several dates, she would find little gifts like that in the car when Mitaka arrived. At first she enjoyed them. There was a cute shirt, a comfy pair of flats, a simple pair of earrings, and a basic computer bag (that she really did need). As time went on though, these gifts started to wear her down. He had been insinuating that she should wear whatever he got her on their dates. She really started questioning her wardrobe. Was it really that bad? Was she embarrassing to be around because her clothes were well worn?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It got to the point that she stopped questioning it. When Mitaka would arrive to pick her up, she would reach in the vehicle, pull out whatever had been sent, and put it on. The few times that she had tried to fight it and wear her comfy clothes, Hux had been left looking very uncomfortable. His mother had been the one to give a voice to the issue just before a semi-formal event that Rey had been invited to as Hux’s plus one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s wrong with my blue dress?” Rey had asked genuinely confused. Ben had seen her in it a couple times and had always said that she looked beautiful in it. What was wrong with it?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead of her boyfriend explaining the issue at hand, he just rolled over on his back, so to speak, and deferred to his mother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My, dear. This family has a reputation that we worked hard for. There are certain expectations of us. I am sure you understand. Just like you have expectations for your students, we have expectations for anyone in this family.” Maratelle had explained with exaggerated fondness for Rey.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey considered what she said. The comparison made sense, she supposed. Doesn’t mean that she was particularly fond of it. Still, she tried on the dress in question and was promptly horrified to discover that it was strapless. When Maratelle saw her and exclaimed how exquisite she was, she swallowed her nerves and plastered on a happy face in the hopes of pleasing her boyfriend’s mother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>During summer break after her first year of teaching, Rey found herself busy as the girlfriend of a very influential businessman. She went with Hux to so many events that she started losing count. She met so many people that she felt she needed to carry a notebook with her to write down their names.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After every event, Hux would take her out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants. They would just relax and talk. It was nice. They would talk about everything. During these nights she learned that Hux felt like he was never good enough for his father. He always felt like he had more to prove. And apparently the board at First Order was putting a similar pressure on him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the first time since Ben, Rey opened up a little as well. She told Hux things she had told no one else except Ben. Hux knew that she became a middle school teacher because she wanted to help kids that were at the same age she was when she received the help she had been in desperate need of. She had told him about her dislike of strapless dresses (it appeared though that he didn’t pay attention to that one). She tried to tell him about Ben, but could never quite make it make sense. It always came out as a gargled story about her best friend being missing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All in all, Rey was content with Hux. With him around, she felt less lonely. Less broken. He never properly filled the hole that Ben’s disappearance had left. Just in general though, she was miserable.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The cars in the pictures above are in the order that they appear in the story. Next chapter will be up this Tuesday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Since meeting Hux in January, Rey’s life had been turned on its head. Her schedule had been filled with so many unnecessary things that she felt like screaming some days. Hux’s schedule was just as ugly as hers. He had started sending Mitaka to pick her up all the time. She even had to make appointments to see him anytime that was not their regularly scheduled dates on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons or an event she was attending with him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As summer wore on and the new school year approached, Rey found herself more and more tired all the time. She was struggling to remain focused. Her stress levels had never been so high. Maybe she should talk to Hux about it. But the closer the school year came, the less time she found that she had.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The week before school started, Rey was struggling. With school starting soon, she was attempting to get ready. She had her lesson plans for the first two weeks ready, her files and paperwork pulled together, and her classroom assignment. Beyond that, she was nowhere near ready. There was so much left to be done, and Hux didn’t seem to realize it. He had asked her to join him for an evening on his family’s yacht.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend the evening with him. She liked spending time with him. Whenever he was around, she felt less lonely and somewhat cared for. Just a week ago, she had mentioned that her sneakers were worn out and hurting her feet. The next day, he had shown up with a pair of brand new (rather expensive) sneakers. She also felt like she could tell him anything and he wouldn’t spread it around. Although that might be because he appeared to only halfway listen anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now here she was putting on another expensive outfit and styling her hair for an evening with Hux and all she could think was how much she wished it was Ben that she was going to be with. She dreamed of that every night still. How she longed to be with him again! To be held in his arms. To have him tell her that he loves her like she loves him. She just didn’t want to be alone anymore. Even when Ben was on the base, she didn’t feel as alone as she does now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the last several weeks, she had been trying to discern how she really felt about Hux. Now she was thinking that maybe the issue was that she was comparing how he loved to how Ben loved. Rose had definitely been right when she said that what Rey and Ben had was special. Unique. So was it really fair to compare Hux to Ben? Or how she felt about them?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey sighed dejectedly as she slid her shoes on. Mitaka would be there soon to pick her up and take her to the docks. She had never seen Hux’s yacht, but she assumed that like everything else with him, it would be grand and expensive. Maratelle had sworn that their house was modest, but Rey tended to doubt that a little bit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Around five minutes later, Rey heard Mitaka knock on the door. She grabbed her purse and jacket before she opened the door to follow him to the car. As was becoming normal, she was on autopilot as they walked to the car, as she got in, and as she watched the scenery around her change.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux’s yacht the <em>Supremacy</em> was stunning. It was massive too! Rey was a little overwhelmed as she looked it over. She could see the various people that he had hired for the evening as they milled about. There were actually musicians playing on the deck. Never before had Rey seen such excess and she hoped that this would be the extent of the flagrant displays of wealth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey looked up to see Hux waiting on her at the end of the gangplank. He had put a little more effort into his appearance tonight and it showed. Rey wasn’t sure why, but she felt like tonight was meant to be special.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good evening, dear. You look lovely tonight.” Hux said in a sweet voice as he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her on her cheek.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This yacht is so beautiful, Hux. It’s incredible. Where will we be going?” Rey curiously asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We will be staying here in the bay tonight. Perhaps someday soon we can take her out.” He suggested as he took her hand and led her to a table set up on the upper deck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was a beautiful set up. The table was covered in a white table cloth, had the finest china, and a vase full of plump red roses. The view of the city from where they were was dazzling. The string quartet had taken up residence near the table.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the evening wore on, Rey felt like she was missing something. This was all so different from normal. Hux was actually outdoing himself. He was extra charming. Something was up. A couple hours after she arrived, the reason for the extra special nature of the night was revealed as Hux kneeled in front of her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey, you are such a wonderful woman. So kind and giving. You are a perfect match for me. I love you, my dear. Would you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With that being said, Hux pulled out a black velvet box and popped it open to reveal an opulent diamond ring. Rey chocked on her drink as she looked between him and the ring. Her head began spinning. Was this really what she wanted? Did she feel the same way? Did she want to spend the rest of her life with Hux? She honestly didn’t know.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One hour later, Rey was sitting on the beach holding the ring in its box while she looked across the bay. She had asked Hux for a little time to think about it. She had given the excuse of her mind being very bogged down right then and wanted to be able to answer him with no reservations or concerns. He had accepted it gracefully and allowed her to go home. Rey, on the other hand, had asked Mitaka to wait on her while she went to confront a painful reality.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While she sat there, Rey had to face the reality that it had been nearly three years since Ben had disappeared. Maz was right. He wouldn’t want her to stay alone the rest of her life. He wouldn’t want her to spend her days mourning. Rey felt the tears slide down her face as she made her decision.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ben, you promised you wouldn’t leave me, and you never willingly did. I wish you were here, but you aren’t. Hux is. He is taking care of me. I know you would appreciate that. You will always be my greatest love, but it’s time to move forward.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey stood up and dusted the sand off as she began walking back toward where Mitaka was waiting with the car. She was supposed to see Hux the next day. She would give him her answer then.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Rey is a little lost and confused. Loneliness is an odd thing that when acted on can lead to making regrettable decisions. She will come to her senses eventually. Things are about to really take off! </p>
<p>I have to break my schedule this week because my grandma died. So the typical Saturday chapter will be up whenever I put it up. It might be as early as Thursday or as late as Sunday. Be on the look out for it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Before anything else happens in my life, here is the next chapter. It was now or the middle of next week, and I am way too excited about this chapter to hold onto it that long. So here it is! Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they announced their engagement, Hux’s parents were eager to not only plan but also to host the engagement party of the year. They spared no expense and quickly began inviting the most well to do people in the state. Reporters were invited to ensure that the engagement would make it in the paper. Nothing was too much for their precious angel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course, Hux was all too quick to let Rey know how he felt about her wardrobe selection for the party in as few words as possible as soon as she arrived at his parent’s house (Who were they kidding when they called it a modest house?! It was a freaking mansion!).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There is a dress for you in the guest room. Mitaka will show you where to go.” He informed her with barely hidden aversion for her simple, black a-line dress that she found on a sale rack at a department store.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was barely given time to take in her surroundings, but if all the bay doors on the garage were any indication as to what the rest of the house would be like, she knew this was the kind of place where you looked at everything with your eyes. No touching!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she expected, the house was lavish! The foyer had an incredible view of a grand staircase, a magnificent wall of windows, a baby grand piano off to one side, and several large cushy benches. Everything seemed to be made out of marble or coated in gold. It all felt so cold and uninviting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey decided then and there not to spend much more time looking around since she had the feeling that the rest of the house (ahem… mansion) perfectly displayed the Hux family’s tendency to spend money. She just followed Mitaka up the stairs to the guest room on the second floor (was that a staircase at the end of the hall leading to a third floor?!).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The guest room was just as lavish as the rest of the house. The king size bed was perfectly made with what she could only assume was a silk comforter. There was a small crystal chandelier hanging over the bed. Everything was in a shade of silver. Overall, just like the rest of the house, it was cold and unwelcoming. As cushy as the bed looked, even it did nothing to make Rey consider flopping on it like she normally would in a fancy room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her attention was quickly arrested though by the stunning dress hanging in the open closet. It was strapless (<em>Oh joy)</em>, knee length (<em>At least it can’t be stepped on</em>), and red. The bodice of the dress was made out of velvet, and the bottom of the dress was a thick layer of red tulle that faded into black. True to her first impression of it, the dress was gorgeous, but (as was becoming the annoying usual) obviously expensive. She had seen this exact dress in Phasma’s boutique not two weeks prior. The price was excessive; and for that reason alone, she did not care for it. Now that she was wearing it, she liked it even less. It was heavy, and she felt like it was constantly falling down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As if the dress hadn’t been enough, a hairstylist and make-up artist were sent to Rey’s room to help her finish getting ready. She was pretty sure when they were through that she was being held together by body tape, hair pins, hair spray, and lots of concealer. They assured her though that she looked gorgeous.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt like she was a porcelain doll. One that should be kept behind glass. Expensive. Beautiful. Fragile. Cold. Good for one thing: to be admired from afar as someone’s prized possession. Not their loved fiancé.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She wiped a tear from her eyes before slowly making her way back downstairs where she could already hear guests arriving. Rey wasn’t sure how much longer she could handle this excess. If this was going to work out, she knew she needed to talk to Hux.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two hours and too much socializing later, Rey had had enough. The people who came to the party were only there to suck up to this powerful family. She had never seen so many fake people or heard so many insincere well wishes in her life. As if that was not enough, her feet hurt from the ridiculous heels that she had been forced into; she was very hungry; her head was hurting from the noise and tight hairstyle; and the dress was driving her to insanity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the first chance she got, Rey retrieved a bottle of water and a few snacks and slipped out into the backyard to sit in the gazebo… away from all the noise. That’s all it was. Useless noise. She knew none of those people. <em>Her</em> friends were not put anywhere near the guest list for this party. This was a business event cleverly disguised as an engagement party.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she looked at the engagement ring she was coming to regard as gaudy, the expensive dress, and ridiculous party going on inside the house, her mind turned to sunny days. Those last happy days she spent with Ben in California. What would she give to go back to that time and spend one more day with him at Disneyland? For that matter, what would she give to just go back to that hole-in-the-wall pizza joint and have lunch with him? He never tried impressing her with his money. He never allowed her to think little of herself. To him, she was perfect no matter how many imperfections she had. No matter what rack her dress came from.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>I guess it was too naïve of me to assume that my old friend Loneliness was gone.</em> She gave a great heaving sigh as though she were about to begin crying at the thought that her only true company tonight was this wealthy family’s cold hard cash.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was in the midst of this reverie that her text tone went off. Leia had sent out a text on the group chat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Leia: We need to meet with everyone tonight. This can’t wait. Don’t ask me questions on here. Best left for in person. We will talk when everyone gets here.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Poe: I can be there in 30 minutes.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finn: ETA – 1 hour</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Leia: Feel free to bring Rose and Zorri, boys.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finn: Updated ETA – 1 hour and 20 minutes</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Poe: Finn… this is not the emergency services. Why?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finn: You know what I mean.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Rey: It might take me a couple hours. Still at this farce of an engagement party. Pretty sure I just saw someone sign some kind of contract. I also need to run home. So, Finn, I can bring Rose.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finn: That is so wrong. Oh, and I am back to a 1 hour ETA. Thanks, Rey!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Poe: Do people not know how to leave work? It’s like these guys are scared to lose five more dollars when they have millions in the bank.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Leia: As soon as you can, Rey. We won’t start this meeting without you. Bring Hux if you need to.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Han: Why am I in this group text. I am sitting right next to you, Princess. These things are like prison.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Poe: Did you survive that death glare you just got, Han?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finn: Try to make it until I get there! I am certified to help in any medical emergency!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Han: I am inspired with confidence.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey jumped up from the gazebo bench with a sense of purpose for the first time all evening. She was going to leave now and not deal with this party anymore. She would also deal with Hux and her concerns when she was not being emotional. She didn’t want him trying to use her emotions as an excuse to talk some other time. He was way too good at getting out of conversations.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean you have to go?” Hux bellowed the question not caring who might hear. Yelling was new. He hadn’t done that before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There is some kind of family emergency. Han and Leia…” Rey was cut off by the sudden arrival of Brendol and Maratelle in the foyer where Rey had pulled Hux to explain the situation. If the color of their faces was any indication, they were livid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No!” Maratelle was yelling as loudly as possible with her fists clenched tightly by her sides and her face every bit as red as her son’s hair. “That does not count as a so called ‘family’ emergency. They are not your family. They are just people who looked after you for a couple months until Maz adopted you and took you to California.” Her voice calmed and became smooth as butter throughout her speech.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I am aware of that, but…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You cannot leave right now! There are too many people here that want to wish you and Armitage well on your pending marriage. If the media gets wind of the bride-to-be leaving her own party for some emergency that really has nothing to do with her – well there is no telling what they will write about us. This could damage our reputation. How could you be so selfish? Especially after what we have spent on this event!” After that interruption by Brendol, Rey was likely to damage someone’s face. Emergencies do not happen often. That’s why they are called emergencies.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After listening to the family go on like this for a further five minutes, Rey finally had heard enough. “Look, I am leaving right now. Hux, honey, you are welcome to come with me; but one way or the other, I am leaving now. There is a reason it is called an emergency, and I know Han and Leia would not just say there was an emergency for no reason at all. Please apologize to the guests on my behalf.” With that said, she turned to go up the stairs to her temporary accommodations to grab her things. “If you are coming with me, Hux, I am leaving in five minutes. I will not wait.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five minutes later, Rey was in her car driving to the apartment… alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey! You are home early. I thought you would be gone long….” Rose’s words died in her throat as she caught sight of Rey entering the apartment and walking to her room. “Honey, how long did it take to do your hair and make-up. Also, where did that dress come from?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She watched as Rey struggled to get her hair down from the ridiculous style. There were braids everywhere. “You need help?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please!” Rey growled as she yanked one last time on a particularly tight braid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey sat on the edge of bed with Rose behind her so that she could reach Rey’s hair. “Han and Leia texted. Said something about a family emergency. I told Finn I would bring you along.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Finn texted and told me to be ready. I just need to get my shoes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose wandered off to her room while Rey attempted to get out of the dress that was held up by too many pieces of body tape. She had several raw spots on her back by the time she was done, but she had never been so happy to be out of an outfit. It was pretty clear to her that the ladies that helped her get ready had no idea how to properly use body tape. Rey wasn’t extremely fashion savvy but she knew enough to know that it shouldn’t have been that hard or painful to get off. Almost made her wonder if they actually used body tape.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she and Rose were grabbing their purses and shoes to leave, they heard a knock at the door. What Rey saw when she opened it sent her reeling. In that moment, she knew exactly what the emergency meeting was about as she looked into the eyes of two Marines in dress blues.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So! Who is ready for Ben to come back?! ❤ Next chapter will be up sometime on Tuesday. After that we should be back to regular schedule!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Surprised? Me too. I somehow managed to get all the extra work I was given done plus some, and I finished writing this story! Just editing left. To celebrate, I figured why not go ahead and post a Saturday chapter?! This chapter does give an idea of what Ben has gone through, but most of that will be gotten into in the next chapter that will be up on Tuesday. Also, Rey has herself a little anxiety attack. She has had an emotional day, and is, therefore, entitled to have a moment. Thankfully, she has a good brother (Finn).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Everyone else was already at the Solo house when Rey and Rose arrived. Rey had texted Leia and told her that she had some visitors that evening. She asked that they go ahead and tell the others the news since she didn’t think she could deal with hearing it again. She would gladly help fill in any blanks later.</p><p> </p><p>Rose had taken over driving after they were only about a mile from their apartment because Rey was not able to focus long enough to keep the car on the road. She just couldn’t stop thinking about what she had been told only one hour earlier. Ben was alive! And he was finally coming home!</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>One hour earlier</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“May we come in ma’am?” The Marines had asked cordially. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Rey allowed them in. Her hand began to tremble as realization hit her as to why they would be here. She tried to get a read on them but couldn’t. They were all business. Not one thing about them gave away what the news would be.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>As they sat down on the couch, the Marines began introducing themselves. “I am Staff Sergeant Cassian Andor and this is Staff Sergeant Jynn Erso. Could you please confirm your name for us?”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Rey Kanata.” Rey was so nervous that she just about couldn’t even say her own name.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“The commandant of the Marine Corps has entrusted me to inform you that earlier today, Staff Sergeant Ben Solo was found alive in Pakistan. He will be transferred Quantico, Virginia, as soon as possible. They are fairly certain that will happen within the next day.” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Sergeant Andor continued explaining what had happened.</em> A<em>round two months ago, a small terrorist cell called the Knights of Ren were discovered in Pakistan. They had no national or religious allegiances to speak of. They lived only to stir up trouble wherever they went. They were in Iraq to do just that three years ago. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>The Knights allowed themselves to be found because the United States had something they wanted, and they were willing and able to trade for it: weapons. Their leader (who was evidently the brains of the operation) had recently been killed so they were rather sloppy at covering up their tracks. A unit of U.S. and Pakistani soldiers were dispatched to find the Knights and bring them to justice for war crimes. It worked. When they got into the Knight’s base, they found what they were going to use to negotiate getting the weapons: three US soldiers. Corporal Temmin “Snap” Wexley, Corporal Hennix Quarren, and Staff Sergeant Ben Solo.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Because of her medical training, Sergeant Erso had been the one to explain Ben’s physical condition. He had been beaten, starved, worked as a slave – That barely scratched the surface. There is no way to put into words what he had been through. She had carefully warned Rey that he was pretty beat up, malnourished, and probably would be dealing with PTSD.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>After they left, Rey collapsed into tears. Thankfully Rose had been there for the whole thing. She was once again called upon to support Rey after she had received shocking news. If it weren’t for her, Rey may never have left the couch, and they may never have made it to the Solo’s house.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>_</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Rey was still in shock as she walked into the house. Her mind was running a mile a minute. She had realized that she was in love with Ben just before he went missing and was going to tell him but never got the chance. Now he was back and she was engaged to be married to some other man! What would Ben think of Hux? Was she even going to be able to go see Ben? Her next several months were already filled with wedding planning. Maratelle had made it clear to her that she would be helping with the wedding plans every weekend, and, after the dumpster fire that was the engagement party, Rey knew she would be in for it if she canceled any plans with Maratelle. She was also coming up on some big events at school which meant that getting permission to leave would not be easy because her boss was a bit of a control freak. She tried to tamp down the negative emotions that were swirling to the surface, but her tear ducts were not to be controlled tonight.</p><p> </p><p>She and Rose walked in at the end of the discussion. Poe, Zorii, and Finn were just as in shock as Rey and Rose were. They all acknowledged the girls as Rose sat next to Finn and Rey sat in her favorite spot on the couch with Kylo’s head on her lap.</p><p> </p><p>Poe was the first to come to his senses. “When can we go see him, or do we need to wait until he comes home?”</p><p> </p><p>“Han and I are planning to drive down there tomorrow in two separate vehicles. Because I already have ways to work outside the office, I am going to take an extended leave of absence from Skywalker that way I can help Ben and then bring him home when he is released from the hospital. All of you are welcome to accompany us. Han has to come back next Friday for a doctor’s appointment with his cardiologist. He can’t put it off.”</p><p> </p><p>After several minutes of discussion and planning, it was determined that neither Rose nor Kaydel would be able to go down to Virginia for the next several days, but Finn and Poe could. They were busy making plans when Finn realized that Rey was uncharacteristically silent about the prospect of seeing her best friend – alive. He watched as she excused herself to the kitchen. A few moments later, he walked in the direction that he heard the sniffling coming from. Sure enough, there was Rey standing in the corner of the kitchen trying her hardest not to cry.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Peanut. You haven’t said much since you got here. What’s going on in your head? And you know you might as well talk to me because I won’t leave you alone until you do. Please don’t try to shut me out. You are my sister and I want to help you.”</p><p> </p><p>It took her a moment to gather herself enough to respond. Even then, Finn had to listen carefully to understand her silent words. “I don’t know if I will be able to get the time off to go, and even if I could, I have appointments tomorrow with Maratelle. Hux texted me a little while ago about that.” She showed Finn the message because she didn’t think she could say it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Hux: Mother wanted me to remind you of the appointments at the bridal boutiques, the venues, and the bakery tomorrow. It is highly recommended that you be there. You owe her after embarrassing her at the party tonight.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Rey. That is the most ridiculous bit of hogwash I have ever read! It was an emergency, and best friends who have been MIA for three years don’t get found every weekend. Surely they will let you off the hook this one time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope so but even if they do reschedule - highly unlikely – I would still have to take time off work. I don’t know if they will be able to find a substitute. Pryde isn’t known for being very understanding or considerate of his employees. That man needs to retire.” Rey’s breathing started picking up and coming in small gasps. Finn quickly stepped into action.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey. Calm down. Breathe with me.” He stood there and rubbed her back while he coached her back into a normal breathing pattern. When she was settled down, he spoke again. “Email your principal and ask. Call your fiancé and explain what is going on. Hopefully they will all have grown a heart and will let you go.”</p><p> </p><p>With that being said, Finn gave Rey a bear hug and returned to the living room to help finish making plans.</p><p> </p><p>Taking Finn’s advice, Rey immediately texted the principal. Pryde had let them know at the beginning of the school year that if an emergency happened after school hours or on the weekends and they needed to arrange for a substitute, they should text instead of emailing him so that he could get back with them quickly on the situation. Once that text was off, she called Hux.</p><p> </p><p>“Darling, there better be a very good explanation for why you left me hanging high and dry at our engagement party.”</p><p> </p><p>His statement left her irritated. Hadn’t she said it was an emergency. That is usually a very good reason to leave somewhere. “Yes, Armitage, there is. Remember me telling you about my Marine friend who has been MIA for the last three years? Well they found him – alive. His parents, Poe, and Finn are driving down tomorrow to the VA hospital in Virginia where he will be receiving treatment. I would really like to be able to go with them. Is there any way…”</p><p> </p><p>“Rey! You better NOT be about to ask if tomorrow can be rescheduled. I already texted you about that. My mother had to move heaven and earth to get those appointments for you. They are not easy places to get in. It would be very selfish of you to ask her to reschedule especially since she was taking time out of her own schedule to go with you… as a mother figure since your adopted mom isn’t available.”</p><p> </p><p>That was the official last straw. Rey had heard enough. This wasn’t something she just simply wanted to do. No. She needed to do this! She needed to see Ben. “I never asked her to do any of that! Leia and a few of the girls were planning to go with me to look at venues and cakes, and when I went shopping for my dress, Maz was going to fly out. You mother scheduled those things at times my mother wasn’t available. And why aren’t you going to be at the venues or the bakeries? Shouldn’t we be making those decisions together? I have waited three years for news about what happened to Ben. Surely the bakery, venue, and dress can wait one week. We have plenty of time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Rey…”</p><p> </p><p>“No! You know what, I am getting tired of you telling me what I can and cannot do. If you want a marriage to work out between us, then you will give some serious thought to our relationship while I am in Virginia for the next several days. Please apologize to your mother for me. I will see you Friday evening.” Without any further thought, Rey hung up and checked her texts. Pryde had responded.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Rey: Good evening, Mr. Pryde. Sorry to bother you so late, but I have had an emergency come up. Is it possible to find a substitute for me for Monday-Wednesday of this coming week?</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Enrich Pryde: What is the emergency?</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey: I have a very close friend in the Marines. He has been MIA for the last three years. They found him alive. He is being transferred to a hospital in Virginia, and I would very much like to go see him.</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Enrich Pryde: Wonderful news that he has been found. I will have Miss Stacy take care of your class in your absence. Please make sure that all lesson plans and materials are set out for her.</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey: Thank you so much! This means the world to me!</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>All of the sudden, the weekend that Rey had previously been dreading, she was now looking forward to. Instead of spending the day shopping with Maratelle Hux at stores with prices that made her head spin, she would now be spending the day in a car with some of her favorite people going to Virginia to see the person who meant the most to her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter goes up on Tuesday. Ben will be back permanently at that point.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Slightly longer than normal chapter, but Ben is back! This chapter is rather bittersweet. I happy cried a few times while writing it. Poe right at the beginning is in here in honor of all of us who don't like mornings!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>“Who said that 4:30 AM was a good time to start driving? What do you people have against normal human hours?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just get in the car, Poe. You can go back to sleep. Remember that you helped make these decisions last night. ‘Oh, yeah! We should leave really early so we can avoid traffic, and Finn can drive because he does this kind of thing all the time.’ Those were your words, bud.” Finn reminded him. With a large cup of coffee in hand, Finn figured Poe was right. He probably could probably make the whole drive.</p><p> </p><p>“How long do you think it will be before they wring each other’s necks?” Rey asked a very sleepy looking Leia as they sipped their coffee while watching the guys attempt to wrangle both the luggage and Poe into the Falcon.</p><p> </p><p>“It will happen around the time that Cherokee breaks down the first time. You sure you want to ride back with them? I can still get you a plane ticket. I’m just glad that I have my Camry to bring Ben home in. After all he has been through, the last thing he needs is to ride in that old rust bucket and have it break down while on the way home.”</p><p> </p><p>“If I don’t, who is going to help Han fix anything on the drive back here? Love those two rascals he has with him to pieces but let’s face it, Finn doesn’t know the difference between a wrench and a pair of pliers, and Poe is an accident waiting for a place to happen. How he became a pilot I will never know!”</p><p> </p><p>Leia nodded her head is assent. It was true that Rey was a very capable woman. Maz had made sure to teach her everything she might need to know to be able to survive on her own should the need arise. “Well let’s just hope that nothing happens to the beloved Jeep while you are in the car with me.”</p><p> </p><p>“When can we eat?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just get in the backseat and go to sleep. We will wake you up when we find a good Waffle House.” Han pleaded as Poe continued his mild complaining about the hour and lack of food. Finn, Leia, and Rey just laughed it off as they followed suit and got in their respective vehicles.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>A little over seven hours after they left the house, they were pulling up in front of their hotel. They had managed (due in large part to leaving at a ridiculously early hour and breaking a few rules of the road) to arrive in Quantico in time to have lunch. They unpacked, checked in, and immediately proceeded to find someplace to eat.</p><p> </p><p>Lunch was tense and filled with some unnamed emotion. Unnamed because no one wanted to say that they were nervous about seeing Ben of all people. They all loved him dearly and were beyond thrilled that he was home, but knowing what he had been through and how long he had been gone set them all on edge. Han and Leia tried their best to calm the others, but even they were having a hard time. It was not going to be easy to see their only son in this condition. They all barely ate what they ordered.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>It was nearing dinner time when they were finally contacted. Ben had landed and was being transferred to the hospital. They would need to get visitor’s badges at the hospital and speak with the doctors before they would be allowed to see Ben later the next day.</p><p> </p><p>The next afternoon, they all climbed back into the Falcon and rode that way. Rey kept her gaze out the window the whole time. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular, nor was she really comprehending what she did see. She was thankful that she had thought to bring Ben’s old hoodie with her. It had been over a year since she had last worn it, but it was the only thing keeping her grounded right then.</p><p> </p><p>After they arrived at the hospital and were given their visitor’s badges, they were directed to a consultation room where the doctor would meet with them and tell them any pertinent information. The longer they waited on the doctor, the more anxious Rey became. She didn’t like being this close to him after all this time and then being told she had to wait longer. She was ready to march down the hall and demand to see Ben. Thankfully, the doctor came in at just the right moment to keep her from doing that.</p><p> </p><p>“Good evening. You are the Solo family, right?” When they gave her confirmation, she continued. “I am Dr. Kalonia. I am one of the doctors assigned to Ben. There are a few things I need to explain to you about Ben’s condition.</p><p> </p><p>“First. He is not as bad off as the other two that were with him. I see in his charts that he had some experience dealing with trauma as a child. It appears that this experience shielded him to a degree from the worst of what these men dealt with. He has been far more compliant than his companions. We are having a little trouble with him right now because he is asking to see his family. Once they get him to understand that he will see you soon, that should fix that.</p><p> </p><p>“Second. In the short time that he has been under observation, we have noted that he seems a little averse to being touched. No big shock there. I will get to his physical condition soon but suffice it to say for now that he has obviously been physically abused. The few times he has gone to sleep, he has had some pretty severe nightmares. So we will have to keep an eye on things as it does appear that he has PTSD; though we don’t know to what extent yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lastly. From a physical standpoint, the best way I can say it is that he is not healthy. His body shows signs of physical abuse. He has scarring that indicates he was probably beaten on several occasions as well as a broken leg. He is malnourished and dehydrated. The good news on that front is that, once he physically heals, from what we can tell right now, there should be no permanent damage beyond scars. Any questions before I give you visiting instructions?”</p><p> </p><p>“When can we take him home?” Leia asked immediately.</p><p> </p><p>“Depends on how he responds to treatment. Could be anywhere from a week to a month. Maybe more. Maybe less. Having all of you here with him will help. Anything else?”</p><p> </p><p>Rey was nervous about one thing so she may as well ask. “Is there anything we should avoid doing or saying around him right now? You said he has PTSD so…” Her thought trailed off and her heart clenched in her chest as she thought about what all that could imply.</p><p> </p><p>“If he invites it, you are probably safe. For example, I told you he doesn’t appear to like being touched. If he invites the touch, you should be fine. Just pay attention to him. We couldn’t begin to tell you too much right now. A lot of these symptoms don’t show up immediately. They will start showing up when things settle down a little. Just watch him and wait for his cues.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me go over some rules about visiting. No more than two at a time for now. Visiting hours end at 8:00 PM. Since this is a unique moment, we will be a little flexible with that tonight. One person may stay with him tonight if he wishes.” She looked down at her phone and smiled before looking back at them. “So. Who is going back first? I just got a message that he is ready.”</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>Rey was getting so tired of waiting. It was right that Han and Leia go back first. They had been back there for a good two hours. In that time, Rey had managed to drink two cups of tea, eat a chocolate dessert, and read the first four chapters of the book that her classes were starting in the coming month.</p><p> </p><p>By the time Han and Leia came out, Rey was fast asleep in her chair. Instead of waking her up because they thought that she looked like she really needed her rest, Finn and Poe had gone back next.</p><p> </p><p>When Rey woke up, she saw Han holding Leia in a tight hug. Their eyes were puffy and red. They looked so much older in that moment. It made Rey really wonder what condition Ben was in when looking at him instead of hearing about him from a doctor.</p><p> </p><p>Leia’s text tone snapped Rey back to reality. It was getting really late. She looked at the clock on her phone. 10:03 PM. And she was still waiting. She looked up as Leia walked over to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Poe just texted. He and Finn are coming back out here. They said that one of Ben’s doctor was starting to push for Ben to get some rest. Doctor Kalonia will be out soon to walk you back.” Leia said as she sat there holding Rey’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>In that moment, the doors to the waiting room opened and the guys walked through them. They were both somber and pale. They tried to smile encouragingly at Rey, but it did not have the desired effect. Leia squeezed her hand, pulled her up, and began guiding her to the door where Dr. Kalonia was waiting.</p><p> </p><p>“I just want you to know that my colleague Dr. North is pushing for Ben to get some rest. Dr. North isn’t too thrilled with it but Ben is refusing the sleeping pill until he gets to see you.” Dr. Kalonia waved Rey back.</p><p> </p><p>Rey stepped forward, feeling like she was in a dream, and followed Dr. Kalonia down the hall while everyone else sat back down.</p><p> </p><p>The smell of antiseptic, flowers, and whatever was on that food services cart assaulted Rey’s nose as they wandered down the hallways that lead to Ben’s room. After the first two turns, everything began blurring together. She was sure she would never be able to navigate out of there. White walls, modern art, wood doors, nurse’s stations, cleaning carts – it all started looking the same until Dr. Kalonia stopped outside room 2187. Rey’s heartbeat picked up as the doctor knocked on the door to signal that she was coming in. She had asked Rey to wait in the hallway until she came out to get her. She tried to get a glimpse of Ben from around the door before it shut again, but it didn’t work.</p><p> </p><p>Rey could handle waiting. It was something she had done so much of, but something about this wait was harder. Ben was just on the other side of the door and she could do nothing but wait. The sounds of the hospital – nurses talking, typing on computers, heart monitors beeping, IV bags screaming to be changed – were really starting to grate on her nerves when Dr. Kalonia opened the door and motioned for her to go in.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever she was expecting, it was not what she was seeing. Big, strong, smiley Ben from California was not who was lying on the bed to the right of the door. While they shared a face, hair color, and eye color, they did appear to almost be two different people. This Ben had a large scar running down the right side of his face and his neck. His muscles had atrophied, his leg was in a cast, and his bones were alarmingly visible through his skin. His chocolate brown eyes that used to light up when he saw her, were dull, red, and tired. Rey let out a strangled sob at the sight before her.</p><p> </p><p>That was when Ben seemed to realize that he was not alone in the room with the doctor. As soon as he fixed his eyes on Rey, his eyes lit up a little like they used to. She saw in him the ghost of the person he was three years ago, and, when he said her name, Rey was overcome with the desire to run to him and hug him and never let go. But then she remembered what the doctor had said about touching. Ben, however, had apparently forgotten about his aversion to touch. As soon as he recognized who she was, he sat up and opened his arms to her.</p><p> </p><p>Rey couldn’t get over to him fast enough. She carefully worked around the IVs and monitors as she gathered Ben in a hug. If being able to see his bones was bad, being able to feel them where there should be muscle was far worse. At odds with his fragile state was how he still made her feel. Safe. Protected. They sat there for who knows, or cares, how long. It was apparently long enough that Dr. North thought Ben had had enough.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Ben.” He came in after a short knock. Rey leaned away from Ben, but they took each other’s hand. “Time to take those pills and get some shut eye. Ma’am, you are free to come back tomor…”</p><p> </p><p>Ben’s grip on Rey’s hand tightened drawing her attention away from the doctor’s words and alerting her to the fact that Ben was not as weakened as he appeared to be. She looked from the doctor back to Ben. He was staring at her with panic in his wide eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Please don’t go.” He begged. His once smooth deep voice was now raspy and ragged. Tears were slowly falling from his eyes. Rey reached up and wiped them away.</p><p> </p><p>“So long as the doctor says it’s okay, I won’t go anywhere.” Rey promised softly as she turned questioning eyes to the doctor still waiting now at the foot of the bed.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s fine so long as you let him rest and so long as he takes those pills.”</p><p> </p><p>To prove to the doctor that he would do as he was told so long as Rey was allowed to stay, Ben quickly reached out and grabbed the plastic cup that contained the pills, got a sip of water, and swallowed the medication.</p><p> </p><p>The doctor sighed in defeat as he looked at Rey. “I suppose that I shall ask the nurse to bring in a pillow and blanket for you then. That couch by the window folds down so you can sleep there.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey thanked him as she pulled her phone out to text the others now that they did not have to wait for her. Once the text was sent, she set it on the counter next to couch, pulled a chair up next to Ben, and held one of his hands in both of hers. They did not talk. Both were too tired. They simply soaked up being in each other’s presence. Rey stayed next to him holding his hand until he drifted off to sleep watching her like he was afraid she would disappear.</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>Rey was awakened from her place on the make shift bed by some of the most gut-wrenching noises she had ever heard. It took her a moment to figure out where they were coming from. It was Ben. He was having a nightmare. A pretty bad one by the looks of things. He was breathing hard and thrashing around on the bed. Occasionally, he would whimper or cry out.</p><p> </p><p>Rey got up quickly and went to his side. Grabbing his hand, she began trying to wake him up. It took several tries but he finally opened his eyes. He sat up quickly and pulled away from Rey like she had burned him. She saw no recognition in his eyes. Only panic. He was so affected by the dream that he wasn’t remembering where he was or that he was safe. A thought came to her mind and she decided to act on it hoping that it would jog his memory.</p><p> </p><p>She gingerly sat on the bed next to him and offered him a hug while saying the very same words he had used to calm and comfort her when she was younger and had her nightmares. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re safe.”</p><p> </p><p>The guarded look in his eyes slowly began to vanish and was replaced by recognition. It took him a minute to gather his senses but Rey knew the moment he did. A great sob wracked his body as he fell into the offered hug. She just held him, rubbed his back, and spoke soothingly to him. Carefully, she readjusted them both so that she was lying on her side cradling his body to hers as he continued to cry. She talked to him about whatever came to mind.</p><p> </p><p>“I started teaching last year. I have a great group of middle school students. They don’t care much for English class, but they are doing well. A couple weeks ago, one of the kids brought in a massive field spider. Alive. In a jar. I couldn’t get it sent to the science lab fast enough.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey just kept talking. Telling Ben about her classes, Rose and Finn, Poe and Zorii, the little car she had been able to buy. She would tell him whatever she could think of to distract him like he had done for her when she had nightmares. It took time, but he eventually settled down and fell back to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Rey knew that she still had one thing to tell him, but she didn’t have the courage. She had made sure to put her ring in her purse before they arrived at the hospital. Now she just had to figure out how to tell the man she never stopped loving that she was getting married to another man. She knew that there would not be a good way. She decided that she would figure it out in the morning. For now, she was going to enjoy being back in Ben’s arms.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the chapter that some of you have been worried about. I took care of this situation quickly. Like ripping off a band-aid. It starts going uphill after that moment. It will be a slow climb up that will take one more chapter after this one. By the time chapter 19 hits, things will be getting much happier.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p>Ben woke up feeling far more comfortable than he had in a long time. He wondered why that was until he felt something blowing air on his neck. His eyes popped open to see Rey still curled up next to him. The events of the night before slowly started making their way back into his consciousness. He had nearly missed the chance to see her yesterday because of the one doctor pushing for him to take a sleeping pill only to get to be with her all night. The nightmare was less than desirable, but the view in the morning was worth it.</p><p> </p><p>Rey slowly began to wake up. She sleepily blinked at Ben before settling back down in his arms with a contented sigh. Clearly, she wasn’t cognizant of what all was going on around her yet. Ben smiled as he worked to convince himself that this was all real and that she was really there. This was not some dream brought on by wishful thinking.</p><p> </p><p>When she stiffened and began to shake though, he knew this was reality. It took another moment for him to realize what was going on. Rey was crying.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong, Rey?” He rasped out.</p><p> </p><p>Rey slowly sat up and walked over to the couch that she had slept on for a while last night. Ben watched as she swiped at her nose and eyes while she continued to cry. She reached down in her purse and grabbed something he couldn’t see before turning back to him and sitting in the chair next to his bed.</p><p> </p><p>“I… I can’t keep this from you, but I don’t… I don’t know how to say it.” She gasped around her words as though they tasted like acid. What she showed him broke what was left of his heart.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Three years earlier – Iraq</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ben waited patiently for his mother to pick up the phone. He didn’t get the chance to talk to her or anyone else in his family often, but this was a conversation that he couldn’t wait to have. He knew his mom would be happy to hear what he had to say. It had taken him far too long to come to this realization and even longer to accept it.</em>
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  <em>He knew before he left California that he was falling for Rey, but he didn’t want her to be in a relationship with him if it could end like his grandparent’s marriage had. He had spent too much energy trying to maintain some semblance of distance from her to keep himself from putting her in a position where she could be hurt. </em>
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  <em>After the first two months of separation though, he decided that as soon as he got home, he would officially ask her out. All that changed after an attack on their base that forced them to relocate. He knew he could not wait any longer to tell Rey how he felt. So he made plans. He would be changing the video chat that he would have available this coming Sunday so that he could call Rey. It was supposed to be a chat with his parents, but they would understand.</em>
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  <em>He smiled the moment he heard his mother pick up. </em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“Ben!”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“Hey, Mom.”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“You said you had something you wanted to discuss with me and that you wouldn’t have long so let’s get to it.” </em>
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  <em>Ben smiled and took a deep, bracing breath. “I need to change our video chat to another day. I need to talk to Rey face to face. It’s important.”</em>
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  <em>“Exactly how important is important, Ben?” Leia asked him in a voice that said she knew exactly what was so important.</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“I need to tell her how I feel. It can’t wait anymore.”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>He could practically hear the smile in his mother’s voice even as he heard her tear up. “I am so happy for you, son.”</em>
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</p><p>
  <em>“One last thing. You know that ring that Nana Padme left me? Could you get it out of the family safety deposit box? I’m gonna need that at some point after I get home.”</em>
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  <em>Leia practically squealed with delight as she yelled to Han that it looked like she was getting a daughter in the near future. When Ben hung up, the smile that was on his face stayed the rest of the day as he prepared to relocate to the new base camp where he would be able to make his call to Rey in a few short days.</em>
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</p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Rey watched as Ben held her hand and stared blankly at the ring on her finger. When she woke up, she knew that she couldn’t wait any longer to tell him. It wasn’t right to keep this from him or to let him find out from some source other than her. It had hurt to simply think about telling him, but looking at his stricken face was worse. If she ever needed proof of how he felt about her, she was looking at it right now.</p><p> </p><p>She watched him try to say something for several long, painful minutes. When he finally spoke, she wished that she could take it all back. His voice was more broken in that moment than it had been when she heard him speak last night. He managed to choke out a simple “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”</p><p> </p><p>Where do you begin telling someone you love deeply, mourned constantly, and missed greatly about the person you are engaged to? Rey didn’t even want to tell him anything, but, at the same time, she wanted to tell him everything. He was always such a good listener. She decided to tell him everything about Hux.</p><p> </p><p>Although the pain was evident on his face, he was listening just as well as he always had. She had his complete attention. There was never a moment that she thought he might not be listening to her.</p><p> </p><p>After ten minutes of trying to tell Ben everything she could about her fiancé, Rey found herself growing tired. It wasn’t unusual. She had been that way for months now. She would start the day off full of energy, but a couple short hours later, she would be falling out of her seat from exhaustion. Today though, she wanted to stay awake. She wanted it badly, but her body appeared to be none too interested in letting her stay awake.</p><p> </p><p>While she was struggling to stay awake, Rey felt Ben’s hand reach out and take hers. She looked up into pained but compassionate eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey, why don’t you go to the hotel and get some sleep. You look exhausted. This level of exhaustion doesn’t build up overnight. You need rest.” Ben softly recommended to her.</p><p> </p><p>Rey couldn’t remember the last time someone had paid that much attention to her. Especially Hux. She always looked tired these days, but no one else seemed to notice the depth of her exhaustion. Leave it to Ben though to pick up on it and tell her to take care of herself while he was lying in a hospital bed. He was always so observant and caring. She held his hand close to her neck and face while gazing at him through teary eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to go, Ben. I have missed you so much.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, Rey. Go take care of yourself. Mom and Dad will be here soon. Between them and that one overly zealous doctor, I am in good hands.” He paused for a moment to take in her face. “I missed you too. More than I can say.” He whispered before bringing her hand to his lips and placing a brief kiss on her knuckles. “Please take care of yourself, Rey.”</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>It had taken a little more convincing for Rey to go to the hotel and rest, but, when she finally did, Ben felt the dam burst releasing all the tears that he had held in while she talked about her fiancé. She was the reason he fought so hard to make it back home, and now he learns that he is too late.</p><p> </p><p>Leia was immediately at his side trying to help him settle down. “Ben, honey, it’s going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did it all for her. I made it home for her, and now…”</p><p> </p><p>“Ben. Look at me.” When Leia was sure she had his attention, she explained in full detail the last three years. She left nothing out. She told him how Rey had reacted to his disappearance, how she had lived in that time, and how she had continued to be heartbroken over him all this time. “Trust me, Ben. She still needs you. Don’t give up yet. Just be yourself. It will all work out.”</p><p> </p><p>Ben listened to every word his mother said. He hurt for Rey and all the pain she went through in the last three years. All he wanted to do was hold her and help heal the pain, but he knew that might not be appropriate since she had a fiancé. Instead, he decided that there was no way that he could go without her in his life. He would take what he could get, and he would not disappear on her again. He would not <em>deliberately</em> cause that kind of pain a second time. Interfering in her love life was out. He wouldn’t disrupt that. By the same token though, he also decided that as soon as he was physically able, he wanted to meet Hux.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>The rest of their time in Virginia was much less emotional. Ben had asked that Rey be the one to stay with him at night. That left her daylight hours at the hotel to rest and take care of any classwork that she could from a distance. Because of a comment or two that Ben made, Rey actually wondered if he planned it that way. Whatever the case may be, over the next few days, she felt her energy slowly start coming back. In fact, she felt better than she had in a long time.</p><p> </p><p>Every day that week, Rey would arrive at the hospital just after dinner. They would pick out a movie to watch together or they would play a game. When it came time to go to sleep, Rey made a habit of waiting next to his bed for him to fall asleep. The medication that helped him relax ensured that happened quickly. Too quickly in her opinion. She would then curl up on the couch and allow herself to be lulled to sleep by his steady breathing.</p><p> </p><p>He would frequently wake up from a nightmare, but having Rey with him every night made it easier for her to reach him after he woke up. There was much less reaction time now between when he woke up and when he realized he was safe. She would wake him up, give him a moment, and then snuggle up next to him until he went back to sleep. After that first night though, the doctors made sure to inform them that she couldn’t stay on the bed with him all night. They allowed it the first time because some things cannot be treated by a pill and not all medicine comes from a bottle.</p><p> </p><p>When Thursday rolled around and they (except for Leia) had to go back to Hana City, Rey didn’t want to go. Her heart was right there in that hospital bed staring at her with sad, brown eyes that were starting to take on a more normal coloration. Going home meant that she had to deal with Hux, and she didn’t know quite what to do there. She did have feelings for him. Was it right to throw out almost a year’s worth of feelings because Ben came back? Rey held her head in her hands as she softly cried out her confusion in the Falcon as they traveled home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ben already wants to meet Hux. That is decidedly NOT a casual meet and greet. Ben is entirely too protective of Rey for it to end in anything but tears for Hux! </p><p>I am updating my posting schedule. I had something sneak up on me that would leave you hanging. I have decided that I will post on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Since it is completely written, that is doable. All I need to do is edit. I am posting this one ahead of time because the next chapter needs just a little more editing than any of the others. PTSD is hard to write.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So Rey has some stuff to sort out. Lots of feelings. This is the beginning of the end for a certain red head. Ben also has some stuff to deal with. PTSD is hard to write.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p>When Rey arrived home, she was left in even greater confusion. Outside her and Rose’s apartment were several vases full of roses. Left with them was an apology letter from Hux that included an invitation to dinner at his penthouse apartment. Starting from that night, he seemed to change completely. He was very affectionate and thoughtful. He still spent too much money though and was always too busy to meet her friends. She would make plans, and then something would come up last minute and he wouldn’t be able to go. This became the source of several arguments between the pair.</p><p> </p><p>The first weekend home after seeing Ben, Rey was whisked off by her future mother-in-law to begin wedding planning. Leia had salvaged all her appointments for venues, bakeries, and bridal boutiques. She just waved around her name and people fell over themselves to get her whatever appointment she wanted. Maratelle never asked how Rey had managed to get those appointments back so easily, but she certainly took over at every location. She even vetoed going into one bridal boutique that Leia had added to the list. If there was one thing that Rey became sure of with her relationship with Hux during the wedding planning process, it was that his mother could very well be the Wicked Witch in disguise. She even went so far as to discreetly check for green skin and warts.</p><p> </p><p>When the day was over, Rey had been told what venue and flowers they would use, what kind of cake they would have (at least they had the decency to check for allergies), and which dress she would wear. Rey could have handled the venue and flower situation since the Hux’s were paying for it, and the country club they had chosen was beautiful. She could easily deal with the cake since it was the one thing that Hux himself had any input about. The dress was where she very nearly lost her cool.</p><p> </p><p>Rey had absolutely no say in the dress that was once again being designed by Phasma. It was to be a bulky ballgown with a very deep V in the front, a lengthy train, and sleeves that were there for looks. It was sparkly and flowery. Perhaps someone else would have loved it but not Rey. She hated the design. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like on.</p><p> </p><p>Two weeks later, Rey received the best news she had been given in a while. Leia had called to let them know that she would be bringing Ben home the next day. He had been medically discharged from the Marines and would be officially settling into civilian life. They were anticipating that this could take time and work. He was getting better physically every day, but mentally was another story. Leia had warned them that things had started happening the day after they had left Virginia.</p><p> </p><p>Since Finn and Rose were getting married within the month and Rey was supposed to be getting married to Hux the following March, Rey pitched an idea to Leia and Han that she hoped might help with taking care of Ben. They had loved it. She and Rose were going to let the lease on their apartment run out and then rent two of the many rooms in their house from Han and Leia. They probably let the girls off cheap, but they understood that there was no way either of the girls would accept being allowed to stay for free. Much to Rey’s excitement, she would get to see Ben every day. That made every penny she would be paying in rent worth it.</p><p> </p><p>Rose and Rey had finished moving in with Han’s help the night before Leia and Ben returned home. Kylo had whined at her restlessness most of the night, and Rey didn’t sleep much. The thought that Ben would be right across the hall from her again in less than twenty-four hours left her tossing and turning all night. She had never been more thankful that it was a Friday night!</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>Watching Ben readjust to life was difficult to say the least. When he first walked in, he looked lost. That look didn’t lessen much over the following weeks while the family tried to learn how to help him. The only thing that Rey was confident about was what to do when he had a nightmare. The first one was the worst, but after that, they calmed down and started happening less.</p><p> </p><p>Kylo turned out to be one of the biggest helps for Ben. Rey had reunited the lab with Ben as soon as he was settled in the house, and they all swore that Kylo had actually cried while Ben hugged him. He had quickly learned how to identify his master’s changing moods and was able to distract him from certain situations. Other times, the tender-hearted pup had found Rey and signaled to her to check on Ben.</p><p> </p><p>It was in one of these moments that Rey found Ben in the most heartbreaking position she had ever seen him in. Lando had come over the weekend after Ben had come home to see his “little starfighter.” Without thinking, he had pulled Ben into the kind of hug he would have given him before his last deployment: tight and enthusiastic. Complete with that back-slap thing that guys do. Rey felt like she was watching the whole thing from somewhere outside her body. Ben quickly tensed and then proceeded to panic. Before anyone knew what was happening, Kylo was at Ben’s side pulling him by the sleeve of his shirt out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>The silence that came from it was deafening. The only thing that pulled Rey out of her thoughts was Kylo pulling on her own sleeve. She quickly followed his lead to Ben’s room where she nearly cried at the sight in front of her. Ben was sitting hunched over in the far corner of his room with his hands twisted in his hair and his breaths coming irregularly.</p><p> </p><p>“Ben.” She hesitantly called out. “Hey. You’re okay. You’re safe.” Rey tried her best to sooth him as she walked around his bed and went to crouch in front of him. Kylo was already next to his master with his head on Ben’s knees. Rey carefully reached out to try to get his attention.</p><p> </p><p>“Look at me, Ben.” She pleaded. When he finally looked up, she saw tears coursing down his cheeks. She pulled her hand back when she saw him watching it warily. Before her hand went down completely, she found it trapped in his. He gently pulled her down next to him and continued to hold her hand while tracing patterns on the back of it with his thumb. Everything she was going to say to try to calm him left her mind. She found that was okay since her presence seemed to be doing the job.</p><p> </p><p>When his breathing returned to normal, he turned to her and tried to explained. “I don’t know what happened. I know who that is downstairs, Rey. I know he wasn’t going to hurt me. It was like I wasn’t even in control.”</p><p> </p><p>He allowed her to hold him when he started to cry again. From that day forward, they were all very careful about touching Ben. It turned out that high stress situations and people crowding his space were the worst triggers for him. Rey tried to guide him out of those situations before it ever got to that point. Eventually Ben learned how to remove himself from those situations.</p><p> </p><p>They also discovered that Ben didn’t handle being still very well. He had to constantly be doing something. They quickly made finding him something to do their top priority. As such, he soon took over as the top baker in the house. And if they all gained an extra five pounds, no one said a word.</p><p> </p><p>Rey found that he was very good help with organizing and grading student work. She came home one night early in October with a large stack of papers to grade and had promptly laughed at the horrified look on his face (she was so glad that his cheeks bones were no longer so prominent!).</p><p> </p><p>“This is normal for me, Ben.” She giggled.</p><p> </p><p>“There is nothing normal about that pile, Rey.” She loved hearing his voice. It had started sounding more like normal a couple weeks after he officially came home, and she loved it! There were times she had to catch herself before she would just lean her head back, close her eyes, and enjoy listening to his voice.</p><p> </p><p>After looking between her pile of work and Ben a few times, Rey had an idea. This would certainly give him something to do. “Hey, do you want to help?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not exactly trained for that, Rey.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to be. You could just calculate the grade after I check the work and then put it in alphabetical order. No training needed to use a calculator or the ABCs.”  Rey cheekily responded.</p><p> </p><p>Ben stood there and watched her with a smirk on his face for a moment before sitting down next to her and asking for a red pen. She smiled widely at him as she showed him what he needed to do. It became something they did together regularly.</p><p> </p><p>As time slipped by, Ben began to adjust. The doctors cleared him to start going to the gym and to find a job. Much to Leia’s excitement, he had asked what he could do at Skywalker. She had immediately assigned him as one of her personal assistants with the expressed intention of training him to take over the company one day. She made sure to let him know that was what she wanted but that she did not expect him to take over immediately or at all. The choice was his, and they would take their time.</p><p> </p><p>Ben eventually started driving again; though he decidedly did not like it as much as he once did. Most of the driving he did was on backroads. Anytime he could pass the car off to someone else, he did. Han joked occasionally that Ben should drive that nice new car that was in the garage. He was sure everyone would stay far away from it to avoid anything that might hit their insurance should they even so much as breathe on it wrong.</p><p> </p><p>Rey was proud of the advances he was making. Sure, he couldn’t work a full day like most people, and he couldn’t handle most situations that others could, but he was doing so much better. What really surprised her the most though was how much deeper she fell in love with him. Taking care of Ben had created a different kind of bond between them. She didn’t realize she could love someone so much.</p><p> </p><p>There was one strain on their relationship: Hux. Ben had expressed a desire to meet him and was losing patience with Hux over the fact that it hadn’t happened. Rey both was and was not surprised by this. But as time went on, Hux became more and more stubborn about it. By the time the end of November had rolled around, he had all but verbally refused to meet anyone in the Solo family. Considering how high up in the business world this family was, that surprised her.</p><p> </p><p>A solution presented itself shortly before Thanksgiving. The First Order had begun sending out its yearly invitations to their charity Christmas gala. Skywalker Industries received one every year, and Rey began hoping that the Skywalkers would make an appearance. That would solve that issue. But then, the Skywalkers never went to the gala due to some disagreement their family had with an earlier CEO of the company when it was called Empire, Sheev Palpatine. They had mentioned that because of Hux, though, they might make an effort to go this time. Rey certainly hoped they did.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HAHAHAHA Rey can’t stand Maratelle! Wicked Witch indeed! Next person she gets to see through - Hux! See you guys on Tuesday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You could really look at this as one chapter appearing in three parts. If I were to name the next three chapters (which I don’t do because I am awful at it), then this one would be named The Christmas Gala Part 1. The angst is going to, compared to the rest of this story, vanish somewhere in this chapter. It will appear for a short time before dissolving into fluffiness.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The snow was drifting down outside the Solo house while Rey and Ben sat on the couch drinking hot chocolate and watching It’s a Wonderful Life. The moment reminded Rey so much of her second night with the Solo’s after she had been removed from Plutt’s custody. She was certainly thankful that her schedule was finally allowing her some real time to spend with Ben. Between the wedding, the upcoming Christmas Gala at First Order, and school, Rey had not had much time to relax. The inclement weather made not only a beautiful and peaceful scene, but it also gave her a weekend off. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had gotten to tell Ben how she felt three years ago, if life with him would have been as stressful as it was with Hux though she had a feeling that it wouldn’t have been. All her time with Ben was relaxed and restful… Even when he was in the middle of a PTSD induced episode.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She looked over at her silent companion. Ben was really filling back out and looking healthy. He had been spending time early in the morning at the gym with Poe and Finn, Han had been making sure that he was eating well, and Leia was helping him adjust to working at Skywalker Industries. Rey wasn’t sure that she was doing much to help even though everyone assured her that she was doing the hard part: helping Ben with the emotional side of readjusting to civilian life. His nightmares had become less frequent and less intense, but, when they did happen, Rey was frequently the one at his side waking him up, calming him down, and sitting with him until he fell back asleep. Thankfully, navigating crowds and high stress situations was getting easier for him so long as he didn’t have to deal with either for an extended period of time. He had learned what his triggers were and was doing fairly well at avoiding them or removing himself from a situation when things got to be too much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey really should feel guilty for spending her weekend off enjoying her time with the person who truly held her heart instead of her fiancé, but she just couldn’t find it in herself to care. She had missed out on this for three years and she wasn’t planning to miss out on any more time with Ben. She needed this time with him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The text alert on her phone interrupted their quiet morning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Hux: Mark your calendar for next Friday. You have an appointment with Gwen Phasma. She will have your dress for the Christmas gala. You will be getting ready at her shop.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey huffed out an annoyed sigh drawing Ben’s attention away from the movie. When was she ever going to be allowed to make her own decisions about anything? <em>Never</em>, a little voice in her head told her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey. What’s up, sweetheart?” Ben had begun using the old endearment again whenever he noticed that Rey was getting frustrated. It always managed to settle her down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Apparently, I have an appointment this Friday to get my dress for the gala.” Rey began irritatedly putting in the appointment on her calendar when a large hand settled across hers and the phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Isn’t Friday the day of the gala?” She nodded to confirm the day without ever looking up at him. “Where are you getting your dress? If you need someone to pick it up before then, I can go do that. You don’t need to be this stressed. I have time, and you are busy getting ready for midterms.” He squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her before he let her go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you, Ben, but I will have to go get it so that I can try it on. I will also have to ask Mr. Pryde for the afternoon off because I am getting ready at Phasma’s shop.” She growled only stopping when she looked up and noticed the concerned look on Ben’s face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Try it on?” Ben asked genuinely confused. “Kinda late for a fitting isn’t it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All the dresses that Maratelle picks fit perfectly… Okay maybe they are a little tight. I just don’t usually see them until right before whatever event…. In fact, I don’t usually pick them out. I wish I could….” She trailed off again as she noticed the look on Ben’s face growing more confused.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maratelle? Maratelle Hux? Your future mother-in-law? She picked the dress out? Like she knew what you wanted and went out and got it or she actually went through the whole selection process herself?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“She picked it out. They have an ‘image’ that she wants to keep up, and she is concerned that with what I get paid as a teacher, I won’t be able to do that. What?” Rey could not decipher the look on Ben’s face. The best word she could come up with to describe it would be ‘incredulous.’ She realized just then that Ben was the first person she had ever told this much about her relationship with her fiancé and his family. Apparently, she still trusted him with the details of her life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How often does this happen?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anytime there is a big event, or really any event… dates… anytime I am with them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The silence that followed was deafening. Ben just stared hard at Rey. He seemed to be having a difficult time figuring out what to do with that information. Then, out of nowhere, it was like he was struck by lightning… well, inspiration.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Where did you say the dress was from?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I hadn’t said yet. All of the more formal dresses I wear come from Gwen Phasma.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Phasma, huh? Mom says she is a talented new comer to fashion but makes everything bulky and heavy. So here is the question of the day. Do <em>you</em> want to wear whatever this dress is that Maratelle Hux has selected for you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey thought for a moment about his question. Leia had hit the proverbial nail on the head when she said that Phasma’s work tended to be bulky and heavy. That was the perfect description of the wedding gown in the empty guest room. No. Regardless of the cold weather, Rey had no desire to wear another heavy dress. “No. I would like to pick out my own dress.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben grinned at her. “I have an idea then. Do you remember Mom’s designer friend, Sabine?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I LOVE Sabine! She is so much fun! But, Ben, there is no way I can afford her. She is one of the most sought-after designers in the nation.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sabine is the best. Which is like a third of why I am bringing her up. She is so good that it would be ridiculous for anyone to give you grief over wearing one of her dresses instead of Phasma’s. One of the other reasons is that she owes me a favor, but let’s face it, the things she makes would look a little gauche on me. I could call in my favor… for you. She can design whatever you want. Whatever <em>you</em> would be comfortable in; because, let’s face it, you are the one who has to wear it. Last reason is that she has always wanted to design something for you so this is a win-win for everyone involved. What do you think?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I… I don’t know what to think. Ben, you might find a need for this favor someday and wish you still had it. Don’t waste it…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m just going to stop you right there. I would never consider doing anything for you a waste. You have been there for me so much since… since I came home. Sabine helping you find something that <em>you</em> would be comfortable in <em>would</em> be doing a favor for me. It’s up to you though. Whatever you want. If you want me to shut up and leave well enough alone, I can do that too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been so long since Rey had been given the option to have any say in anything and she was tired of it. To top it off, she could potentially be wearing a dress designed by Sabine Wren. How could she turn down this opportunity especially with Ben giving her those puppy dog eyes?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ok, Ben. Make your call. Let’s see what kind of magic you and Sabine can work.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two hours later, Sabine was at the house despite all the protests to her coming out in the storm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nonsense! I grew up in climates far worse than this! Besides, I have been waiting for that phone call, or an approximation of it, for years now. I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity again to design a dress for you!” Sabine happily chattered as she set up a work station in the office. Rey had never ceased to be amazed by this woman’s hair. It was every bit as flamboyant as its owner. There was no telling what color it actually was, but there was no way that vibrant purple was going to distract Rey from what Sabine had just said. When was the other occasion that she was going to design a dress for her? There is no way that Rey would have missed that!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you, Ben, but this is girl time. Go find something to distract yourself with and stop loitering in the doorway like some massive shadow. Shoo.” Ben chuckled as he was hurried out of the room by Sabine and the door was shut behind him. Rey liked seeing him happy like this. It didn’t happen as often as it used to though he was getting better with each passing day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good. Now that he is gone, tell me about this gala! I need to hear everything. From what Ben told me, we don’t have long. I think I can have something ready to go by Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday at the latest.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the next half hour, Sabine questioned Rey about the gala, her dress preferences, her fiancé, and his parents; but once Sabine had settled into measuring and drawing a few rough sketches, Rey’s mind wandered back to the comment that had caught her attention earlier.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sabine? Can I ask you a question?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabine looked up from her sketches and gave Rey a warm, encouraging smile. “Of course, dear. I can talk and draw at the same time.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You said that you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to design a dress for me… again. I really would remember you designing something – anything - for me, so I don’t understand what you meant by ‘again.’”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite what Sabine had said, this line of thought was apparently more than she could handle while sketching. She had to put her work aside. “The moment I met you all those years ago, Rey, right after Han and Leia had taken you in, I just knew that I wanted the opportunity one day to make something special for such a special and strong young lady. I thought I had lost that opportunity when Maz adopted you and took you to California until…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabine’s eyes grew distant as her voice softened and eventually trailed off. Whatever the “until” was, it was difficult to put into words. Rey patiently sat and waited for her to continue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I received a phone call from Leia around three years ago in August… just before Ben…” There was a pause while Sabine gathered herself. It didn’t matter that Ben was back, this topic was still hard for anyone that was in any way a part of the family. “Anyway, she said that you might be in need of a dress at some point in the near future and that she would recommend me to you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If Rey had not been confused before, she was completely lost now. At what point <em>that</em> year was she going to need a dress that required Sabine’s talents?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I see the look on your face and before you ask, Leia never elaborated on that. She just seemed very convinced that you were going to need a dress. That was not the only occasion though. She also contacted me the weekend that all of you went to Quantico to see Ben several months ago. We scheduled a time and place for me to meet with you when you went dress shopping with your future mother-in-law.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The look of shock on Rey’s face told Sabine everything she needed to know. “You had an appointment at Naboo Bridal Boutique that day, yes?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes. I did. Hux vetoed it saying that it was a dump. If they had known...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wondered if something like that had happened. The Hux family is not a group that I usually work with. They haven’t figured out yet that not everything can be bought with money, and I generally select my patrons based on character more than cash. As to why I was at Naboo, since my main office is in New York City, I wasn’t about to make you go all the way there. I work with the owners of that boutique rather frequently. They were letting me use the space there that day.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They both fell into silence as Sabine returned to her sketches and Rey retreated into her mind. It was not surprising what Sabine had said about the Hux family. They spent money quicker than it came in and in such large quantities that it made Rey dizzy. The fact that she could have had a wedding dress designed by Sabine left her rather disappointed. Instead, she was wearing yet another overpriced and exceptionally heavy Phasma design.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Those two things quickly left her mind in favor of the other piece of information. Leia was not one to just call up Sabine for no reason at all. Why, then, did she call Sabine about a dress for Rey when Rey could not imagine a single situation where she would have needed a dress of that caliber that year? Was there something Rey had missed? And why would Leia know about something like that when Rey herself did not?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That evening after Rey had spent several hours with Sabine and they had made many tweaks to the sketches, Rey had happily settled on a design that she loved! Sabine had left half an hour earlier, and Rey and Ben were settled back into their spots on opposite ends of the couch with Kylo lounging between their feet as Rey gushed about her dress.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s going to be black! And is it crazy how happy I am that <em>this</em> formal dress has straps? None of the ones that Phasma has designed for me have straps! At least, none that do any good. This will be so much more comfortable. I won’t spend the whole night feeling like I have to keep pulling my dress up!” Ben was just sitting there happily listening to Rey as she chattered on excitedly about her new dress. He was happy to see her this enthusiastic about anything. According to Finn and Poe, she had not been this way in a long time. “Oh! And she has a pair of heels that she swears are so comfortable that they could be worn during a marathon. She is bringing them with the dress for the first fitting on Tuesday.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey was bubbling over with excitement. The earlier revelation about two other possible dresses had been pushed to the back of her mind in lieu of this one very real dress. She wasn’t usually one to get excited about formal clothes, but this one was exciting. Ben had patiently waited in the living room for them to complete their work, and now he was patiently listening to Rey go on and on about something that probably was of very little interest to him. She could not remember the last time Hux had paid so much attention to what she was saying.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey settled down after the pizza arrived for dinner and they agreed to turn on the first Lord of the Rings movie. Part way through the movie, she looked over at Ben and wondered how she had managed to live without him around for the last three years. It hurt how much she had missed him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before she thought about the consequences, she scooted over right next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He still was not completely okay with being touched; so, she worried for a moment that she had messed up when she felt him stiffen. Just as quickly as he had stiffened, though, he relaxed and put his arm around her. She looked up at him and was surprised to see not anxiety in his eyes after being touched, but rather she saw him smiling at her like he did when they were back in California before he was taken by the Knights.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you, Ben. For helping me today.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He responded by hugging her a little tighter to himself for a moment. Rey decided to stay right where she was, curled up next to Ben, instead of sliding back to the other end of the couch. Even when Han and Leia returned home sometime after dinner, they did not move from their position on the couch. It was well after their normal bedtime that they finally said goodnight and went up to their rooms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While she lay there trying to sleep, she finally understood how ridiculous she had been for accepting Hux’s proposal. She knew there was no way that Hux loved her. Maybe he cared, but not enough that she should be marrying him. How she had ever deluded herself into thinking otherwise, she will never know. With Ben here showing her daily again what real love was like, she knew she would be crazy to let this engagement go on any longer.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The goal for this chapter was just to simply allow Rey to realize some stuff – let her think. Which, she did! And now she is ready to give the ring back to Hux! Thursday is going to be fun! We are getting closer to Hux meeting Ben!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Do you guys know that song that plays in Space Jam – Let’s Get Ready to Rumble? It may or may not have played on loop while I was writing parts of this chapter. Someone (cough cough Hux cough cough) is about to have a bad day!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Rey sat patiently as Sabine and her assistant fixed her hair and make-up the afternoon of the Christmas gala. Thankfully, Sabine was able to meet after school and get her fixed up without having to take off more than thirty minutes from school. Phasma couldn’t beat that if she tried.</p><p> </p><p>The last several days had been rather stressful. Hux and his mother (oh especially his mother) had not been pleased when they found out that she had no intention of wearing the dress that Phasma had designed. They didn’t even give her the chance to explain where the other dress came from. The call was ended almost immediately. She had not even been able to speak to Hux since then.</p><p> </p><p><em>It’s fine though that we haven’t spoken</em>, Rey mused as she watched the last pins be put into the high bun in her hair. She knew that was not normal for a couple who was about to be married. For once, she was being very honest with herself. She had never truly been happy to be with Hux.</p><p> </p><p>Rey looked down at the expensive ring on her finger and smiled. She didn’t smile because of the relationship that it represented. No. She smiled because she was finally determined to do what she should have done months ago. She was going to give Hux the ring back. No matter what happened tonight, she knew she could never be happy with him. But since Hux was being so difficult to get in contact with, she would have to break off the engagement at some point during the Christmas gala.</p><p> </p><p>After the night she spent watching movies with Ben after Sabine had designed her dress, Rey knew that Ben was it for her. No one else could fill that spot in her life. Even if she had to wait forever, she would do it.</p><p> </p><p>“There. All done. You look beautiful, Rey.” Sabine said as she looked at Rey in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>“This is incredible! Thank you, Sabine.” Rey reached out and pulled the older woman into a hug. “I hope that one day you will get to design another dress for me. I know of one in this house that needs to make a hasty departure.”</p><p> </p><p>Sabine gave her a questioning and then knowing look as Rey stood up and moved to grab her dress. Just then, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. It was Leia letting her know that Mitaka was outside waiting to drive her to the gala. Rey decided right then that she would miss the sweet PA. He had grown on her. It wasn’t his fault that his boss had a stick firmly planted up his rear end.</p><p> </p><p>She quickly stepped into her dress, and Sabine helped her zip up the back. The floor length dress was made of a very comfortable and warm but lightweight material. It had a v-neck, a thin sparkly waistband, and (most importantly) sleeves! The skirt was flowy but not fluffy. The fact that it was in black made Rey feel just a little rebellious (she had seen pictures of the silver nightmare that Phasma had designed). Sabine really had outdone herself considering how much time she had.</p><p> </p><p>After putting in her earrings, sliding on her shoes (which were even more comfortable than Sabine had said they were), and grabbing her clutch, Rey stepped downstairs where she came face to face with a very flustered Ben.</p><p> </p><p>After a moment of stumbling over his words, Ben finally spoke. “You look incredible, Rey. He is crazy if he can’t keep his eyes off you all night.” His voice had grown scratchy while he talked. Rey knew he was fighting off tears. Right as she was getting ready to tell him about her plan though, Mitaka hurried in and rushed her out the door while saying something about the Hux family not being in a pleasant mood. At least she wouldn’t be dealing with that much longer. She really needed to encourage Mitaka to find a better job.</p><p> </p><p>As she was exiting the house, Rey saw Ben standing at the bottom of the stairs looking every inch like a man in pain. Like he was holding himself back. The last thing she saw was the mischievous look that was cast between Han, Leia, and Sabine.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe you! Canceling that appointment with Phasma. She was very put out. And that dress…” Rey started tuning out everything Maratelle was saying while she followed her into the ballroom. She knew it was more of the same, and it was almost over. Just as soon as she could get some alone time with Hux, she would be free of this disaster of a family. At some point, she did plan to make sure it was known who designed her dress that they kept fussing about. Rey wasn’t a vindictive person, but just this once, she couldn’t wait to throw something in their faces and see their reactions.</p><p> </p><p>The gala had been in full swing for about an hour before she found out where her soon to be ex-fiance was. He had been in a meeting with one of his board members. At the Christmas gala. He had no idea how not to work.</p><p> </p><p>When she rounded the corner, she heard voices coming out of the meeting room. She immediately recognized Hux’s voice. He was rather animatedly discussing something with whomever he was meeting with. His voice was tinged with humor. Something had him <em>quite</em> amused. Rey had very rarely heard him laugh at anything.</p><p> </p><p>“Best decision I ever made.” She heard Hux say. “Being in a relationship with that girl has brought in more money than I would have ever dreamed possible. And all because you suggested that a relationship would give my image what was needed to make our investors more comfortable and, by extension, boost our stocks.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey felt herself grow cold as she comprehended what he had said. All those months they were together had been a ploy to make him and his company look good. He had never actually cared.</p><p> </p><p>“It did almost end in disaster right after whoever that friend of hers is showed back up. It’s a good thing that you were able to talk her around. The press could have blown that one way out of proportion which would have effectively scared away our investors. Perhaps one day, things will settle enough that you will be able to be rid of her.” The other man supplied to Hux’s hearty agreement.</p><p> </p><p>So that’s it. She was a pawn. Used to make advances but easily disposed of. Rey had been ready to end the engagement when she came to the gala, but that did not negate the pain those words caused. She truly felt sick now. She spun on her heel and ran to the nearest restroom where she managed to not heave the contents of her stomach. When she felt that she had gathered herself sufficiently, she pulled herself to her full height and walked purposefully out of the bathroom ready to not only give Hux the ring back but to also feed it to him if necessary.</p><p> </p><p>“There you are, darling.” Rey felt her skin crawl and the bile rise in her stomach as she heard Hux’s voice. It was layered thick with sweetness, but she was wiser now.</p><p> </p><p>She turned to look at the man she already considered her ex even if she had not done the deed yet. “We need to talk, Armitage.”</p><p> </p><p>He reached out to tuck her arm in his in what an outsider would consider a loving gesture, but the pressure Rey felt on her skin said otherwise. “We can talk some other time, dear. A time when others are not around.” He said in a gentle voice like he was reprimanding a small child.</p><p> </p><p>Rey was not going to let his behavior go. “Afraid the press might see us disagree and it would cause a drop in your stocks? The only time they come around is when your mother calls them or for this charity Christmas gala every year so you wouldn’t be able to fix any damage quickly.” She hissed out from behind a fake grin as she began trying to walk to the front door. She no longer cared who saw her give the ring back. If this ruined his reputation because the press caught it, she could not be imposed upon to feel bad about it.</p><p> </p><p>Hux tried to jerk her to a halt before they went out the doors, but she was determined. She kept walking, intent on getting someplace where they were less likely to be interrupted. No matter where she went there would be people, but she would rather go outside and deal with the press than Maratelle. This ended now.</p><p> </p><p>“If you leave right now, you will need to find someone other than my employee to drive you home.” Hux growled down into Rey’s ear. How could she have missed how shallow and callous this man was?</p><p> </p><p>Rey was about to yell at Hux when the tell-tell sound of an expensive engine cut through the noise coming from the gala. It was the unmistakable sound of a Lamborghini. As she turned, it was like time slowed down. She could see the valets rather animatedly playing Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would have the honors of parking the sleek black car she was all too familiar with that was making its way up to the front of the building. For the first time in her life, it wasn’t a car that left Rey’s mouth hanging open. It was the driver. Skywalker Industries had decided to send a representative.</p><p> </p><p>Rey felt her heart rate speed up as a very handsome Ben Solo stepped out of the Lamborghini, and the press immediately turned their attention on him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Cue Chopin’s Funeral March. Hux will be coming face-to-face with Ben on Saturday! And after what Rey overheard, that man is in deep trouble. That Lamborghini has been alluded to before now. As a car person, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include one! 🤩</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is an update a few hours early in celebration of the fact that my family and I decided to put up our Christmas décor tomorrow (I am that person that listens to Christmas music all year)! Next update will be Tuesday! Couple notes right here at the beginning. First of all, Ben is there because he is clueless about why Rey is there. He currently thinks this is his only way to meet the man he believes Rey is going to marry. Hux brought this on himself. Second, Rey was more than ready to give Hux a piece of her mind before Ben showed up. So let’s see how this goes down.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Four Hours Earlier</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Rey had left just a few minutes prior, but Ben couldn’t get his brain to work right. No matter what, he would always consider her to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he had to watch her get dressed up to spend an evening with someone who was displaying very little respect for her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Ben had promised himself that he would not get involved in Rey’s love life when he had found out about her engagement. It hurt, yes, but he had to accept that she had moved on in the time that he had been gone. That did not mean, however, that he did not want to meet the man that was going to marry her. But this Hux was making no effort to meet those that Rey was closest to, and it gnawed away at Ben’s very thin patience.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sabine was suddenly standing right in front of him with her feet planted wide and her hands on her hips. “Ben, are you really going to call me in, have me dress Rey up in something that is not approved by the Hux family, and then just send her off to the wolves? What kind of Marine are you?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“And just what do you want me to do about it?” Ben snapped as tears burned at his eyes.</em>
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</p>
<p>
  <em>“Put on that suit we all know you have in your closet, pull out the invite that Skywalker receives every year for this gala, and go back her up. Make it known what family Hux has been stonewalling because that is exactly what he has been doing. Meet this guy for us.” Leia wryly remarked.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You can use that nice new investment I decided to get last year.” Han smirked at Ben knowing he would struggle to pass up another opportunity to drive that car. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey watched as Ben stepped aside to allow the waiting valet to park the car and began making his way through the small group of reporters that had come out for this gala. They were pushing their microphones and cameras in his face as they bombarded him with questions. Somehow, Ben was holding it together rather well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Or at least, she initially thought he was. The closer he got, the more clearly she could see the signs that he was not doing as well with the attention as she thought. He had his fists clenched tightly and a muscle was jumping in his jaw. His neck muscles were pulled taut, and his breathing was a little off. To anyone else, he would have looked normal for someone having a microphone shoved in his face, but Rey definitely knew better. This would not go well for long.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A tight, panicked grip on her arm reminded her of the fact that she was not alone. Hux was still standing with her. She sneaked a look up at him and was surprised at what she saw. He was normally pale anyway, but now he looked positively ashen. All blood had drained from his face. Rey suddenly realized what was going on, and, oh, it was a rare event to witness. Hux was intimidated. By Ben.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The Skywalkers never come. Why did they send someone this year?” He hissed out nervously. “Rey, that is Ben Skywalker. He is the future CEO of Skywalker Industries. Do not embarrass me right now. His company holds our biggest account.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh. He hadn’t pieced together yet that her friend Ben and this Ben were the same person. Aside from that, he was intimidated because Ben was actually higher in the business world food chain. This was going to be interesting. Rey decided to see how this went down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thankfully, for Ben’s sake, Mitaka had intercepted him, removed him from the clutches of the press, and was now leading him over to where Rey was standing with Hux. She wished she could somehow tell him that Hux was clueless. So she tried to make some kind of signal in the hopes that Ben would understand. Based on the spark of mischief in his eyes and the way his posture changed, he understood something.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey watched him with rapt attention as he walked toward her. For the first time that she could remember, he was in a suit that was not his uniform – a black suit with black tie and black shirt – and she loved it! She mentally grinned at his old habit of wearing black to make himself feel more confident (he never said that was why he did it, but Rey knew him well enough to know that was a fact). The suit actually made him look bigger than he currently was. He was no longer underweight but he was also not quite back to what he had been before he disappeared. His hair was so perfectly styled that she honestly wondered if maybe Sabine had anything to do with it. And the little bit of facial hair he had just highlighted the scar on his face. He definitely cut an imposing figure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Ben was finally standing in front of them, Rey desperately wanted to tackle hug him or at the very least smile at him, but the grip that Hux still had on her arm was tight and causing some pain. Ben seemed to notice if that murderous expression that flickered across his face was any indication.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You must be Armitage Hux.” Ben casually commented as he sized up the man in front of him and, based on the way he was looking at Hux, apparently found him lacking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux nervously extended his hand to Ben as he blatantly stared at the scaring on his face. “Yes. How wonderful of you to accept our invitation.” He said with a tremor in his voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben gave him a withering look. “I sense unease about my appearance, Hux.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, sir. Well done. I have never seen someone so thoroughly distract the press before.” Hux stated with a nervous chuckle. In an effort to get some of the attention off himself, Hux quickly gestured toward Rey. “This is my fiancé, Rey.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben grinned like the cat that got the canary. If he hadn’t gotten the message before, he certainly understood now that Hux was clueless. He turned that thousand-watt smile and mischievous expression on her, and her knees turned to jelly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey. You really do look amazing tonight. Sabine outdid herself on that dress.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey was ready to rise to the challenge. “Thank you, Ben. Han actually let you drive his precious Lamborghini? I know he has been saying he would, but I never thought he would actually do it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not like it is the Falcon, Rey. He will always be more protective of that hunk of junk than he will any other car.” Ben laughed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux started nervously sputtering as realization finally hit him. “So Ben Solo is… you are… I don’t…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Let me make this easier for you. For work, my family goes by Skywalker. Everywhere else, it is Solo. So yes, I am Ben Skywalker-Solo. You know, the Marine friend who has been trying to meet you. I do hope you do not conduct business that way.” The warning was clear in Ben’s voice. If Hux continued this behavior, there could be trouble with the Skywalker account. Rey knew from everything that had been said in previous conversations, that would be a major financial blow for First Order. It would also mean months of renegotiations with several other companies that followed Skywalker’s lead. Hux just stood there and gaped at Ben.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Regardless of how much Rey would have enjoyed watching Ben punch Hux in the face (because that is exactly where this was headed if his posture was any indication), she decided that this had gone on long enough. It was obvious that Ben did not approve of Hux, and he had just met him. Even if she hadn’t already decided to end it, that knowledge alone would have made her reconsider her engagement. Thankfully, ending it was exactly why she was here. It wasn’t that she needed Ben’s help to break off the engagement with Hux, but his arrival certainly shut Hux up and gave her the silence that she needed to get the deed done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well this has been lovely. I am so glad that you finally met. Too bad it was too little too late. Hux, I have been trying to talk to you all night, but you have not been interested in listening. I believe that this belongs to you.” Rey watched as both men’s eyes grew wide as she removed the ring from her finger and passed it over to her now officially ex-fiance. She did not miss the flash of the camera indicating that this moment was caught by the press. She also found that she did not care. “Ben, I am going to need a ride home. Can I catch a ride with you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as Rey felt Hux’s grip loosen on her arm, she pulled away and tried to take a step towards Ben, but Hux’s grip tightened back down. She whirled around to see him glaring at her. “Rey…” Hux surely would have continued talking had it not been for the finger that was suddenly in his face and the protective arm wrapped around Rey’s waist. Rey’s attention snapped up to Ben’s face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tentatively, she reached up with her free hand and pulled his hand out of Hux’s face. Hoping that this would not lead to a PTSD episode, she gently began speaking to Ben. “He is not worth it. Don’t waste your energy on him.” When Ben gave her a clear and present look indicating that he was fine, she turned blazing eyes on Hux. “If you ever touch me or speak to me again, it will not end well. We are through. I do not appreciate how you have been treating me.” With that said, she pulled Ben toward the valet stand to have the car brought back around.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While they were waiting, Maratelle came storming up to Rey and roughly grabbed her wrist. Ben noticed and shot an ice-cold, exasperated glare at her. “There you are! I have been looking for you everywhere. First that dress and now vanishing with whoever this man is…” Her words died in her throat as she looked up at Ben and recognized who he was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maratelle, this is Ben Skywalker-Solo. Ben, this is Maratelle Hux. He was the friend that you were none too interested in me going to see after he went missing for three years. Oh, and you won’t have to worry about me embarrassing you anymore. You can talk to your son about that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben, clearly not willing to let go of his protective nature, had to put in his two cents. “And the dress all of you have complained about for the last week was designed by Sabine Wren. Pleasure meeting you. Have a wonderful Christmas.” His tone made it clear he meant none of what he said. He jerked to halt on his way to open the door for Rey and turned back to Maratelle. “As a side note, I know Rey can handle herself, but if any of you touch her again, you will be dealing with me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey fondly rolled her eyes as she tugged Ben away from a spluttering and flabbergasted Maratelle toward the Lamborghini that had just pulled up to the curb next to them. She felt herself release months-worth of stress build up as she slid into the passenger seat and felt the engine roar to life. She relaxed even further into her seat as the car began pulling away from her worst decision.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And she is free! Hux got his in a unique way (threatening his cash flow and getting dumped in front of the people with the cameras). There is a conversation coming between Ben and Rey! Also, I am not done with Hux yet. See you guys Tuesday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All happy from this point forward. We got off the Angst Express last chapter. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
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<p> </p>
<p>They were both in such high spirits when they got back home that they agreed to change into their pajamas and meet back in the living room. Rey tried to hurry (she really wanted as much time as she could get with Ben), but her hair was so expertly done and she was shaking so much from excitement, that she could not get it down without making a mess. She laughed at herself even as she managed to get another pin stuck. Realizing it was hopeless, she quickly collected her hairbrush and hurried downstairs to the living room where Ben was already relaxing in one of the recliner sections of the couch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ben. Can you help me with something?” She tentatively asked as she drew closer to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure, sweetheart. What do you need?” His answer was warm and calm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Can you help me get my hair down? Sabine’s stylist really knew what she was doing. The strongest storm could not hurt this hair style.” She joked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben really looked at her for the first time since they left the gala. His eyes were always one of Rey’s favorite things about him. They were very expressive. Right now, they were so happy and hopeful that Rey could not stop the deliriously happy smile the spread across her own face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He easily agreed and readjusted his position so that she could sit with him on the couch and he could reach her hair. Rey handed him the brush as she sat down. For a moment, she wondered if maybe this was still too much physical contact for him, but, just as soon as that thought came, she felt him gently begin working on her hair. Rey decided that maybe it was time to reevaluate her view of how Ben was handling some things. He seemed quite at ease whenever she touched him or he touched her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey could have sat like that all night. Ben’s hands were warm and gentle as he tugged her hair out of the tight bun. She never once felt any pain. The longer he worked, the more relaxed she became. When he gave her hair one last run through with the brush and declared that he was done, Rey was nearly asleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben slowly stood mumbling something about going up to his room when Rey’s hand shot out to grab his.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please don’t go. I feel like I just woke up from a nightmare. Stay with me?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey very nearly melted at the soft, warm look Ben gave her before he went to hallway closet to pull out a couple blankets and pillows. He spread out one blanket over his legs after setting the fireplace thermostat to a nice warm temperature. He then put a pillow against his side for Rey to use and spread the other blanket over her. Fifteen minutes later, they were both asleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey was the first to wake up. It was a little after two in the morning. The only light available came from the fireplace that had relit (probably what woke her up). She looked up at Ben’s sleeping face and sighed happily. This small noise was enough to wake him. His eyes fluttered open and landed on her. They just stared at each other for several moments before Rey broke the silence with four whispered words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you, Ben.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At first, Rey wasn’t sure that he had heard her. He just laid there silent and blinking. But then she saw the tears start welling up and the smile begin growing. She slowly sat up and adjusted herself so that she was completely facing him. He carefully sat up in the recliner and reached a hand out to her face. She reached up and covered his hand with one of hers as she pressed her cheek into his palm. Her eyes slid shut as she relished in the feeling of having him so close to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey.” He called out to her. She opened her eyes to see him watching her intensely. “I love you too, sweetheart.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No longer interested in patiently waiting, Rey surged forward and pressed her lips to his. She was proven to be right in her early assumptions about Ben’s ability to deal with being touched; because instead of growing stiff, he immediately melted into the kiss. He wrapped one arm around her waist and moved the other hand behind her head and pulled her closer. Rey didn’t even bother trying to stop the smile that spread across her face as she got what she had wanted for years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they pulled away from one another, Ben smiled. It was an unrestrained smile that reached all the way to his eyes. For the first time since he came home, his smile came complete with dimples. Rey reached up and traced the edges of his smile with her fingers before settling down against his chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I guess now might be a good time to have that conversation that should have happened three years ago.” Ben whispered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I guess so.” She sighed as she again adjusted her position so that she was lying next to him with her hand and head on his chest. From there, she discovered her favorite sound – Ben’s heartbeat.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They laid there in silence watching the fire in the fireplace and the twinkling lights on the tree. After a minute, Ben started laughing. The sound of his laughter brought a warmth to Rey that she couldn’t explain. “After three years, one would think I would know what to say, and yet I find I am at a loss for words.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey laughed right along with him. “What were you going to say that day?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was going to tell you that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. That I love you. I was going to ask you out. I was even ready to ask you to marry me. Mom already had Nana Padme’s ring out of the vault.” He said tenderly as he pressed a kiss to her upturned forehead. <em>So that was the reason for the other dress</em>, Rey absently thought. “But then our convoy was attacked. They had been watching us for a while and decided that they needed some workers. Apparently, we fit the bill. They forced us out of our camp so they could attack us in transit. I don’t know if I can talk about everything from those three years yet, Rey.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey saw a shadow cross over his face. He hadn’t opened up about his time with the Knights before. She didn’t expect him to tell all now. They had plenty of time for that. She just wanted to be a reassuring presence right now. “That’s ok, Ben. Whenever you are ready, I am here.” She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his jaw.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s one of the things I love about you. Everyone has boundaries that should be respected, and you do.” He fell quiet for a few more minutes before continuing in a husky voice. “Every day I was there, I told myself that no matter what happened that day, I had to get home. I had a reason to fight. You were my reason, sweetheart. I made you a promise, and I hadn’t told you yet how I felt about you. I had to survive.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, Ben.” Rey murmured before she leaned back up and kissed him. She kissed him slowly letting all of her love for him be felt in that one action. She pulled away and made sure she was looking him in the eye. “I am so glad you are home. With you is my favorite place to be. I am sorry I didn’t wait on you. We could have both avoided so much…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben silenced her with another shorter kiss. “It’s not your fault, Rey. Things happen. We make all make decisions that we wish we hadn’t made. Yes, it hurt to come home and find you engaged, but I don’t hold it against you.” He wiped a few stray tears from her face and kissed her lightly one more time before she settled against his chest again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a several more minutes of companionable silence broken by the occasional yawn, Ben spoke up. “Luke wants me to go to Ahch-To to help set up some things for a company that will be working with Skywalker. I don’t know if I want to go though.” Ben laid there quietly as he ran his fingers over her hand. “I don’t want to be away from you and my parents again right now. No matter how far. I realize that it is only fifty miles, but I just don’t know.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey laid there turning his words over in her tired mind before speaking. “I am not a fan of you leaving either, but your Aunt Mara could really help you since she was in Vietnam.” They laid there thinking it over. As much as Rey didn’t like it, she also accepted that it would be the best-case scenario for Ben. He would be with someone who had experienced the horrors of war; he would be in a calmer location; he would be learning more about his family company; and he would be close enough that they could still see each other rather frequently. Most importantly, it was only temporary. A few months at the most. She told Ben all of this. “I don’t like the idea of you going anywhere. If it was up to me, I would never let you leave my sight again, but it is ultimately up to you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. “I won’t make my decision before Christmas. For now, let’s just get some sleep. I will get more information from my mother and uncle tomorrow so I can make the best decision. In the morning when we both aren’t falling asleep, we can talk more about our relationship and the possibility of me going to Ahch-To.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sounds like a good plan.” She said drowsily as she pulled the blanket up over them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, sweetheart, you looked really upset when I got there tonight. What happened?” Ben suddenly asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That woke her up a little bit. Rey was not sure she should tell him. As much as she really could not stand Hux, she loved Ben too much to let him do anything that might hurt him or get him in trouble. She knew this information would go over like a lead balloon. However, she was terrible at keeping things from him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Promise you won’t do anything rash?” She nervously asked as she looked back up at him with pleading eyes. He cocked his head to the side and studied her for a moment before relenting with a nod. As expected, the news was not well received. Rey had never known Ben to hate anyone, but what she saw come over him when she had explained how she had been used by Hux was something very close to it. The next day First Order received a phone call from Skywalker Industries that led to a renegotiation of their contract. Rey knew that Hux was probably losing his mind. After all, this was guaranteed to hurt worse than any punch to the face because Hux truly did love one thing, and it was in jeopardy now – his money.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hux may have messed with the wrong people. Please note! Ben is not technically leaving again. He is moving up the road for a little bit. After what he went through (Knights of Ren and now PTSD) and what Rey went through (extremely manipulative relationship), they both need a little more healing time, but I am getting a little ahead of myself. More to come on that in the next chapter. Good news is that we are done with the angst. Two more chapters to go. Chapter 23 will be posted on Thursday, and chapter 24 (the epilogue) will be posted on Saturday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>One more chapter to go. We are just gonna tie up a couple loose ends real quick before we go on to the last chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>True to his word, Ben didn’t make a decision until after Christmas, but he eventually decided to go to Ahch-To. Rey drove him up to Luke’s house and helped him settle in. She stayed that night and drove home the next day. A part of her wanted to stay with him, but she knew he needed this time. And they had already made plans to talk on the phone every night and see each other every other weekend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before Ben left, they had discussed their relationship and where they wanted it to go. Neither felt it the right time to jump into a relationship. They agreed that for the time being, because Rey had just gotten out of a manipulative relationship and Ben was still healing, it was a good time to continue getting to know each other again but only as friends. When he moved back home sometime in May, they would reassess and make their decision from there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey had absolutely no problem with their arrangement. She knew that Ben was right where he needed to be for the moment and that she would wait forever for him. As it turns out, however, Ben was horrible at waiting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The end of May was when he was scheduled to be home. The first week of May, Ben called Rey to let her know that he was coming home that Saturday. He sounded more himself than ever. There was a somberness to him now that she figured would always be there, but she didn’t mind it. It was a reminder of how close she had actually come to losing him. It also made the times when he was happy that much better.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he pulled up to the house, Rey felt her pulse jump. She had seen him many times since he went to Ahch-To, but this was the first time that he had been home. And he had his duffle bag over his shoulder. She understood that he meant he was coming home permanently.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She excitedly ran out of the house and jumped into his waiting arms. He laughed into her hair before kissing her deeply. His kiss told Rey everything she needed to know. He had done all the reassessing he needed to do. He was home for her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rey.” Ben said in a deliriously happy voice as he set her down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, Ben.” She responded breathlessly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You busy tonight?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey stared at him with her mouth open, but quickly gathered her senses and gave him a sassy grin. She slid her arms around his neck and started running her fingers through his hair. “What did you have in mind?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I was thinking about going to dinner and then coming back here and building a bonfire. Watch the stars. Make s’mores. What do you think?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmm… Do I need to dress up? Will I ruin your reputation if I wear my not-designer skinny jeans, sandals, and red top? My jewelry might be fake too.” Rey cheekily asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t wait. You look beautiful no matter what.” He kissed her one more time before he stepped out of her arms, picked up his discarded duffle, grabbed her hand, and started walking toward the house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leia was waiting on them inside. “Finally ask her out? Judging by those smiles, I would say yes. Congratulations. I do have some news that you will be interested in. Just come see me in the office as soon as you are settled in.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Half an hour later, Rey and Ben were sitting in the office with Leia. She steepled her fingers and gave them an impassive stare. “We have been having some ongoing trouble with one of our banking firms. They have been trying some tactics that we do not agree with and that reflect poorly on us. We have been renegotiating with them for a while now, but it has gotten to the point that we are having to make the decision to either stay with them or cut all ties. I do have several good options on stand-by should we need to take the latter course. I need to know your thoughts, Rey, before I cut ties with them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben and Rey both gave Leia a knowing look before Ben asked the inevitable question. “What banking firm?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“First Order. Their current CEO and CFO have both been involved in some less than savory activities.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben grimaced at Rey. After she informed him of exactly why Hux had been interested in her from the beginning and Ben had had called him, Hux had appeared to be properly cowed. Apparently in his panic, though, over the last few months, he started showing his true colors and that was going to cost him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you feel you need to cut ties with them, do it. It’s your company. Do what you need to do.” Rey stated without hesitation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I just wanted to make sure you knew why we were splitting from them since there is a history there. I also wanted you to hear what was going on from me before anyone else. If we split from them, odds are several other companies will follow. This could seriously hurt if not be what puts First Order out of business. If the media gets wind of you and your connection to both Skywalker and First Order, they may cause you some grief.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you for letting me know, Leia, but I am sure that it will be fine.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“One last thing. I recently hired a personal assistant for you, Ben. Since you are starting to take on some more responsibility, I figured you could use a little help. He comes highly qualified and highly recommended.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rey grinned over at Ben. She had been the one to give the PA a good reference. “Do you remember the guy that saved you from the press at the Christmas gala?” Ben nodded to acknowledge that he did. “Mitaka is a skilled assistant. Poor guy is a little shy and easy to scare, but he does his job very well. I ran into him back in March. He was looking for a new job. I found out that you really impressed him at the gala. He likes anyone who will stand up to Hux.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they got up to leave the office a little while later, Leia asked Ben to stay just a moment so she could speak with him privately. “Shut the door for me please, Ben.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s going on, Mom?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben watched as Leia opened the safe below her desk. She leaned down and pulled something small out before walking over to him. “I believe you will need this at some point.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben stared at the small velvet box that his mother had passed to him and smiled. “I believe I will. Thank you.” He smiled gratefully as he pulled his mother into a hug. “Love you, Mom.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nothing ever did come of Leia’s fears of the press giving Rey grief over her connection to either company. First Order went under; Ben really started taking up responsibilities at Skywalker; and Rey was the happiest she had been in a long time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>See you guys Saturday morning for the last chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woohoo! We made it! Last chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p>Ben proposed to Rey in July after dating for only two months. They were both done with waiting to be together. After over three years of heartbreaking separation, they no longer had it in them to be apart for long. They decided for that very reason to make it a short engagement and agreed that the wedding would be in December. That would give them time to pull together whatever they needed to for a wedding, find some place to live, and would coincide with a break in the school year. As an added plus, the date they officially agreed on was the same day they had met nearly nine years prior. The same day Ben had changed Rey’s life.</p><p> </p><p>And what a beautiful day it was. Rey awoke feeling more excited than she was anxious. Even if everything fell apart, she would be just as happy going to the courthouse and marrying Ben in her lounge pants and his old hoodie. So long as the day ended with her in his arms and a shared last name, it would be perfect.</p><p> </p><p>She laid in bed for a little while longer just thinking back on the last few months. Ben had been more than happy to be a part of every single moment of planning. They had picked everything out together. The colors, the venue, the flowers, the food – Everything! Even though he was given the option, he had made the decision to not wear his uniform for the wedding. That part of his life had taken enough already. While he did love his time in the Corp, he said it was time to move on. He had, however, taken a few engagement photos in uniform.</p><p> </p><p>Their venue was beautiful. It was Nana Padme’s family estate Varykino. The old house and extensive grounds easily made up Rey’s second favorite place to be outside the Castle back in Takodana. The ceremony would take place in the large solarium at the back of the house, and the reception would be in the ballroom (Rey was surprised to learn that the house had that).</p><p> </p><p>They kept the guest list to just close family and friends. This would ensure that they could use the estate. It also meant that Ben would be more comfortable since large crowds still bothered him from time to time. Rey didn’t mind one bit though. She preferred the idea of having people around who were actually there to support them.</p><p> </p><p>It had taken them three days (thank goodness the estate belonged to family or that wouldn’t have worked) to set up the decorations. Leia had really outdone herself. She had placed several Christmas trees with only lights around the ballroom and two fully decorated trees in the solarium. She had put up garland, lights, and flower arrangements absolutely everywhere.</p><p> </p><p>When Rey asked about the price, Leia had smiled and said that after being separated from her son for so long and in the cruelest way, she wanted to do whatever she could to make him smile. He had always loved Christmas trees and lights, so this would make him extra happy. She had then hugged Rey and told her that nothing made Ben happier though than the thought that he was marrying Rey. The décor was a mother’s gift to her son and soon-to-be daughter. Rey had cried from how happy she was the rest of that day.</p><p> </p><p>When Rey asked Sabine to design her dress, she had enthusiastically agreed. Maz flew out and went with Rey to Naboo Bridal for her first appointment. They talked and laughed with Sabine for hours while she designed the perfect dress for Rey. When they came back a month later for the first fitting, Maz cried when Rey stepped out in her dress. It was a very simple design with long sleeves and a full sparkly tulle skirt. Normally, Rey would have been opposed to the sparkle, but the dress fit the theme of the wedding so perfectly and it looked so beautiful, that she fell in love with it. She had smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. <em>Only one more month</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Now the day had finally come. She flitted around the house going from task to task with a joy that could only come from a heart so full of love. After her shower, she put herself in the caring hands of Sabine and her team. They carefully curled her hair and put on her make-up before Maz came in to help her get into her dress.</p><p> </p><p>When she was ready, she looked up at her mother and smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t believe that this day actually came, Mama. I could literally burst from all this joy!” Rey laughed even as she swiped away a stray tear (thank goodness for waterproof make-up).</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, my child. I knew this day would come. There might have been a moment when we all doubted, but I never doubted how much that boy loves you. I would trust no one else with my precious girl.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey stood from the stool she had been sitting on while Maz had pinned her veil in place and wrapped her mother in a warm hug. “I love you, Mama.”</p><p> </p><p>Maz wiped the tears from her own eyes, smiled widely, and stood as tall as she could. “Enough of this. You are going to ruin your make-up. Happy days are ahead. No more tears.” Before she walked out of the room to get in the car that would take her to Varykino, Maz turned around and gave her daughter a watery smile. “I love you too, my daughter.”</p><p> </p><p>_</p><p> </p><p>Rey was good at waiting. She had done it so much in her life, but this one was the hardest. She stood there and watched as Zorii, Paige, and then Rose walked into the solarium ahead of her. Finally, she heard her music.</p><p> </p><p>“Ready for this, Peanut?” Finn asked as he stepped up next to her and offered her his arm.</p><p> </p><p>“I have never been more ready for anything in my life. Thank you for walking me down the aisle.”</p><p> </p><p>Finn leaned over and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before walking her to the entrance where she got her first view of Ben that day. He looked more handsome than ever in his black suit and red tie. As always though, it was his smile and eyes that drew her in. He was grinning so widely at her that she feared his face might crack. She couldn’t remember a moment when she had ever seen him look this happy.</p><p> </p><p>They did not take their eyes off each other the whole ceremony. Ben was all Rey could see, and he was looking at her like she held the moon in her hands. They laughed and cried as they pledged their lives to each other. When he kissed her though, she could have sworn that she did end up somewhere on the moon.</p><p> </p><p>At the reception, as they danced, Ben pulled her close and made a her a promise.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve got you, sweetheart, and I won’t leave you again.”</p><p> </p><p>Her answering smile lit up the whole room. His promise echoed around through her memories of nightmares followed by the comfort of someone who loved her, and it made her realize that her life had been a little like that. There had been a nightmare, and now she was in the comforting embrace of the one who loved her.</p><p> </p><p>She reached up and touched her forehead to his after giving him a tender kiss. “I love you, Ben.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too, Rey.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for hanging with me until the end! I appreciate all the comments and kudos! It has been quite the ride. </p><p>I am currently working on a couple other stories. The first of which will show up sometime in the next week. It is a one-shot inspired by the poem "Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight" by Rose Hartwick Thorpe (if you have never read it, it is rather good). Also in the works is an arranged marriage AU set in the Middle Ages (my favorite time period to study) and a high school AU (saw something that sparked quite the idea).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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